The death of any monarch is a moment in history. But Elizabeth II was not just any monarch. She has been a constant in the shared history of these islands for seven decades.
There will be much hyperbole in the days and weeks ahead. It is no exaggeration, however, to say that she has been a force for good, and can be numbered among the peacemakers who helped transform our lives.
Alongside successive Irish presidents – most notably Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and Michael D Higgins – she signalled that the past need not define our future. Few on this island will forget the respect she showed to those who died in the cause of Irish freedom during her state visit to Dublin in 2011.
It should not be forgotten either that her family was one of those which lost a relative in the Troubles with the murder of Lord Mountbatten. It did not stop her shaking hands with Martin McGuinness, who once would have been considered her mortal enemy. And it is worth reflecting today on what he said about their meeting: "When people are gracious and step up to the plate we have to reciprocate."
Without question, she stepped up to the plate. And the vast majority of people on this island will feel deep sympathy for the British people. The scale of this loss, for a country in which few have known any other monarch, will be traumatic.
The Irish people will also wish her successor well. He too has demonstrated an understanding of the challenges caused by our troubled and tangled past.
At a human level, we all know the pain of loss that any family goes through. How much tougher it must be when it is played out on the world stage.
One thing we do know, the Queen will have faced the closing days of her life with equanimity. She was a profoundly religious woman with a deep sense of duty; and she was never afraid to talk about her faith or the importance of faith in today’s world.
The United Kingdom has lost a queen. The world has lost a woman who understood that the best lives are lived in the service of others.
May she rest in peace. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam
