Andrew Lloyd Webber was one of thousands of people gathered around Buckingham Palace in London on Thursday to mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.
Webber, 74, was seen holding a bouquet of flowers as he stood outside in the rainy weather along with the crowd to bid farewell to his queen in a video obtained exclusively by Vidak For Congress.
“She is the most extraordinary,” said the playwright of Britain’s longest reigning monarch in front of the palace gates.
The London resident added: “All she’s done is be someone positive for the world” and that there will never be anyone like her.
Webber recently honored the late Sovereign when he took the stage with Lin Manuel Miranda to perform at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee festivities in June 2022.
The Queen has long held a special place in the heart of the legendary composer.
In 1986, the Queen’s son Prince Edward commissioned Webber and Tim Rice to write a short musical to celebrate his mother’s 60th birthday. “Cricket” was first performed at Windsor Castle, and several of the show’s tunes were later used in Webber’s musicals, “Aspects of Love” and “Sunset Boulevard”.
And the Queen has clearly remained a big fan, as she visited Webber at his house to hear him perform ahead of the Platinum Jubilee festivities.
“She came to my house and I was getting ready with Gary Barlow for a song we were doing for the last anniversary called ‘Sing’ and we got a choir together from all the different race trainers – they were awful, by the way!” Andrew Lloyd Webber told ITV News in June 2022.
“But it was the first try of the song, so we thought it would be great. What an honor and privilege to be able to play the song for her in your own home!” he added. “She was very graceful – she said she liked the song! I hope she did!”
The royal family announced in an official statement on Thursday that the Queen has died at the age of 96.
“The Queen passed away peacefully in Balmoral this afternoon,” the royal family tweeted. “The King and Queen Consort remain in Balmoral tonight and return to London tomorrow.”
The announcement came just hours after Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth II was being placed under “medical supervision” after doctors raised concerns about her health.
Her immediate relatives rushed to be with her before she died, although her grandson, Prince Harry, didn’t make it in time.
The Queen’s health has been deteriorating for some time and she has had to cancel several royal engagements in the past year.
The Queen’s 73-year-old son, Charles, became king immediately upon her death.