ANKARA (AA) – Britain’s new King Charles on Thursday said the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II is a “moment of the greatest sadness” for him.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother,” Charles said in a statement.

“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” the statement added.

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held,” said the new king.

Speaking to the media, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss said: “Today, the crown passes as it has done for more than 1,000 years to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty, King Charles III.”

“We offer him our loyalty and devotion just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long. And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words God save the King,” said Truss.