116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
‘A remarkable legacy’: Iowa leaders react to Queen Elizabeth’s death
Iowa leaders pay tribute to a ‘global stalwart and resolute leader’
Sep. 8, 2022 2:29 pm, Updated: Sep. 8, 2022 4:49 pm
Iowa politicians joined leaders from around the world to offer condolences and pay tribute to Britain’s revered and longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at the age of 96.
“Queen Elizabeth II was a strong and graceful leader for the better part of a century,” 88-year-old U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement. “As queen, she was a tremendous source of stability and clearly loved the people she served. She’ll forever be a symbol of decency and humanity for the whole world. Queen Elizabeth II leaves a remarkable legacy of duty, honor and service.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, in a statement, called Queen Elizabeth “a remarkable and steadfast woman who fought side by side with the United States through some of the Free World’s most trying times.”
“I’ll always admire her fortitude, love of freedom, and tenacity that has inspired other women in leadership,” Reynolds said. “Kevin and I join with Iowans in sharing our condolences to the Royal Family.”
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, paid tribute to the queen as a “global stalwart and a resolute leader” of the United Kingdom for seven decades.
“Queen Elizabeth II was the steady foundation of the flourishing special relationship between our two nations, promoting freedom and peace alongside American leaders throughout history,” Ernst said in a statement. “While we grieve her death, Queen Elizabeth II leaves behind an incredible, well-revered legacy. May she rest in peace.”
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Ottumwa, in a statement, said the queen “set the standard for leaders around the globe, and her service will be remembered for generations to come.”
"Queen Elizabeth II devoted her life to serving her beloved nation with grace and humility for over 70 years,“ Miller-Meeks said. “Through her tenure, the United Kingdom faced many triumphs and hardships, yet the Queen never wavered. … My heart goes out to her family during this difficult time."
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley meets with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II when she delivered an address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. on May 16, 1991. (Courtesy Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Office)
Flowers rest outside the British Embassy following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, in Washington. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday after 70 years on the throne. She was 96. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Daily Newsletters