Cristiano Ronaldo pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

People from all walks of life around the world are mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Regular people have been deeply moved whether or not they were her subjects. Tributes have also poured in from the biggest sports personalities, including Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

The renowned footballer is from Portugal, but he has now spent close to eight years in England across two stints with Premier League side Manchester United. He shot to fame there under the tutelage of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, and has since become one of the most accomplished footballers in history.

Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96 on Thursday afternoon, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner shared a few heartfelt words as a tribute to the charismatic monarch. He posted a photo of Her Majesty The Queen to his millions of followers on Instagram and said:

"Seven years of my career were played in the Premier League, making this my 8th season living in England. Throughout these years, I've felt the everlasting love of the UK for it's Queen, and how important Her Majesty was and will forever be to the British people."

He then went on to say that he is also mourning the great loss. "I pay my respect to her memory and I mourn this irreplaceable loss with the country that I've learned to call home. My thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Queen Elizabeth II have a mutual admiration for each other and even though the Sovereign should technically stay neutral, Marca reminds us about an anecdote between the two.

When Ronaldo confirmed his comeback to Old Trafford, the queen reportedly asked for the global superstar's signature. He happily obliged and sent 80 signed shirts to Buckingham Palace for Her Majesty and her staff.

Many other personalities have been sharing their own memories with the monarch as everyone takes time to remember her long reign.

Meanwhile, the English Premier League took measures to observe a period of mourning. All fixtures for this weekend have been postponed and will be rescheduled to a later date. The EFL had already done the same as early as Friday.

On Thursday evening, the Football Association and UEFA decided to push through with Europa League and Conference League games, but a minute of silence was observed at the venues. An image of Her Majesty was also displayed on giant screens in several venues.