The death of Queen Elizabeth II

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, praising her ability to “keep her finger on the pulse of the people.”

“She loved the people. She served them, but she was never complacent about the need to always to understand them,” Blair told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.  

Blair served as prime minister between 1997 and 2007 and was in power at a difficult time for the monarchy – the death of Princess Diana. He told Amanpour that her reticence to speak publicly after Diana died came from her desire to protect her grandchildren.

“She was a queen but also a grandmother and had two young grandchildren, the two boys, who were obviously very close to their mother. … So it was difficult for her. But once she understood the necessity of reaching out to the people, because there were people misunderstanding this reticence that she had. It was really to do with her desire to look after the children. But once she realized that she should speak, she did … in a way which completely brought people back to her,” he said. 

“So that was an example in an incredibly difficult set of circumstances where she understood what was necessary and she did it. And that was how she was. Her first attachment more than anything else was to her duty to the people she ruled,” the former prime minister said. 

Blair also reminisced about his audiences with Queen Elizabeth II and praised her ability to be a “sympathetic ear.”

“She was immensely gracious and kind, sympathetic. You know, we would have good discussions. She was one person in whom you could have complete confidence and say whatever you needed to say, ask whatever you wanted to ask,” he said. 

Blair also predicted that King Charles III will “follow in the Queen’s footsteps” in how he serves as the UK’s new head of state. 

“I think he will be very much like her,” Blair said. “He’s a, a very, very committed and caring person. So I personally have a lot of confidence going forward,” he said. 

Blair also said that he didn’t believe that previous causes the King has taken up, such as climate activism, will be an issue now that he is monarch.  

“I don’t think it’s particularly, at least here [in the UK], politically contentious to be concerned about that, but I could not doubt as the monarch, as the head of state now, he will abide by the constitution in a very faithful way,” Blair said.