A bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth II seated astride a horse marks the entrance to Rideau Hall in Ottawa, a nod to a head of state and equestrian who continued to ride horses well beyond its tenth decade.
Canada was one of 15 sovereign states of which the Queen was monarch at the time of her death, and was the country she visited the most outside the UK.
On several of her 22 trips here as Queen, she stayed at Rideau Hall and the grounds are a testament to this, with trees she dedicated, including a red maple tree planted during her first visit as monarch in 1957 .
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Numerous plaques identifying these trees are now surrounded by flowers left by those who came to pay their respects, while others signed a book of condolences. Here are some of their memories and tributes:
Braydon
Braydon, of Ottawa, said: “His death marks the end of a golden age, the age of our grandparents.
“In an ever-changing world where everything we know is falling apart, she’s always been there.
“She has always been stability and continuity.
“King Charles III faces many difficulties in the future, there will be many difficult questions about whether he should retain the monarchy, especially here in Canada.
“But from what I’ve seen of him so far, I think people will rally around him, just like they did for his mother.”
June Duncanson-Campbell
June Duncanson-Campbell from Nova Scotia said: “I love everything about the royal family, we have always been monarchists in our family.
“We used to put little UK flags on the lawn on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday.
“I never had the chance to meet her personally, unfortunately, but I saw her very closely during her visit to Ottawa.
“I think for her, Canada was a baby country and she could see the possibility of so many things here – she helped Canada grow.”
Kim McLaughlin
Kim McLaughlin of Ottawa said: “Our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau knew the Queen when he was young, when his father was Prime Minister and we’ve seen pictures of them together which are really adorable.
“For him, and for her, to have that experience of being the son of a former prime minister also in that position must have made it a really special bond.
“He felt like he really lost someone, like a member of his extended family. I think we all feel the same way. It’s hard to imagine a world without her and I myself- even struggling with it.”
Gyde and Rosemary Shepherd
Gyde Shepherd, from Ottawa, said: “My uncle was Governor General here in the 1950s and 1960s and he had a close relationship with Queen Liz and so I feel close to her through my uncle.
“We have lost someone who would be tantamount to losing Pope Francis. She was a grandmother, a mother, a lover and a great woman. What greater woman can you think of right now?”
Rosemary Shepherd of Ottawa added: “I greatly admire the work of King Charles III on environmental issues.
“He said he won’t make any more political comments. But hopefully he’s working in the background on these issues.
“I think he will be a good king.
“We can’t compare him to Queen Elizabeth – that wouldn’t be fair. But he’s a good man, like his father was.”
Ian Burleton
Ian Burleton, from Shropshire, said: “She was a great lady and I think she will be missed.
“I hope the crown will continue to move forward again and again.
“I know we have problems with the world, but I think we just have to try to respect the Queen’s faith and her religion.”
Milly Widis
Milly Widdis from Ottawa said: “I always like to take a look at the monarchy when she comes to visit Ottawa.
“I like them very much and they are good people.
“It was one of his favorite countries.
“She had a really big connection with Canada and every time she came she loved it. When I found out she was dead I was very sad, I cried.”
