Death of Queen Elizabeth II: 'Shock and sadness' envelops Sheffield as tributes pour in

But as Her Majesty always felt a sense of duty to do what needed to be done – I, a humble journalist from Sheffield – will follow that lead and give you my thoughts on The Queen’s passing.

The overriding feeling within our newsroom and across the city is best described as a mixture of shock and sadness.

The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield, perhaps summed it up best last night when describing why she was held in such high esteem by the nation: "She was devoted to her people, faithfully keeping the promises she made at her accession to give herself without reservation to the responsibilities entrusted to her.”

There has already been an outpouring of grief within the city with many people leaving flowers near the Town Hall.

Members of the public have also been spotted queuing up to sign books of condolence at churches in the city centre.

Of course she was 96-years-old and had suffered a number of ailments in recent years which are to be expected of someone of such an advanced age.

But the fact that she has been a constant in the lives of a whole generation of people for the last several decades made the sombre announcement of her death yesterday evening all the more difficult to digest.

Whatever your position is on the monarchy as an institution, The Queen was undoubtedly a unifying force and a steady presence in often turbulent times.

We turned to her for reassurance and comfort in times of need.

There will of course be an initial mourning period and funeral matters to attend to. It is important to remember a family has lost it's matriarch.

It will take society a little time to adjust. In time, The Queen’s image will no longer appear on currency or stamps. They will be replaced by portraiture of King Charles III.

As crowds gathered outside Balmoral Castle and Buckingham Palace yesterday there were spontaneous cries of ‘God Save The Queen’ and ‘Long Live The King’.

King Charles III is the monarch of our future but for now we must pay our respects and celebrate the incredible life of The Queen, who has served us so well over the last 70 years.