and authority on the world stage. she was dubbed by one of her biographers as "queen of the world", visiting hundreds of countries throughout her reign. she was monarch of 15 separate realms, the head of a commonwealth of some of 56 nations. so there was no surprise that news of the queen's death made headlines around the world. tonight, at the white house, the flags were at half mast. throughout her reign, the queen was a living embodiment of the trans—atlantic relationship, meeting no fewer than 12 us presidents. in a statement, president biden described her as "a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy".