Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

British national anthem played at Venice Film Festival in honour of the Queen

Footage circulated online showed ‘God Save The Queen’ booming out across the festival grounds

Peony Hirwani
Friday 09 September 2022 04:14 EDT
World leaders offer their tributes to Queen Elizabeth II

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The British national anthem was played at Venice International Film Festival on Thursday 8 September to honour the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Footage circulated online showed the festival grounds as “God Save the Queen” played out, while Hollywood stars continued to grace the event’s red carpet.

A-list celebrities including Brad Pitt, Ana de Armas, and Adrien Brody arrived on day nine of the festival, as the world reeled from the news of the Queen’s death.

Screenings went ahead as usual in the Italian city, though other upcoming arts events including the Bafta Tea Party in Los Angeles, and the BBC Proms were cancelled following news of Her Majesty’s death.

The 96 year old monarch died “peacefully” at Balmoral on Thursday afternoon (8 September), according to Buckingham Palace, having spent 70 years as head of state, outlasting her predecessors and overseeing monumental changes in social and political life.

The Queen was Britain’s longest-serving monarch. Her eldest son, Charles, will be succeeding her as the nation’s new king.

Since her passing, heartfelt tributes have continued to pour in from across the globe. UK prime minister Liz Truss describing her as “the rock upon which modern Britain was built”, while the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the late monarch had “constantly showed us the meaning of life”.

The Queen has been held up in newspapers around the world as a “unifying force” who symbolised stability during decades of rapid change (PA)
The Queen has been held up in newspapers around the world as a “unifying force” who symbolised stability during decades of rapid change (PA) (PA Wire)

Sir Elton John also paid tribute to the Queen at his concert in Toronto on Thursday night, during which he praised the monarch and her “inspiring presence”.

Follow the latest updates as the world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in