‘I am grateful to have lived during her time’ – Lewis Hamilton pays emotional tribute to the Queen ahead of the Italian Grand Prix

LEWIS HAMILTON paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

The Queen died peacefully on Thursday at the age of 96 – marking the end of her historic reign and making her son Charles king.

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Charles, who will now be known as King Charles III, made a somber statement last night while leading the nation’s grief.

The Premier League and EFL have postponed all of this weekend’s games along with a host of other sporting events.

The death of the Queen comes as…

However, the Monza race will go ahead as planned, with F1 promising a dignified approach to what happened after the Queen died.

There will be a minute’s silence before today’s practice and there will likely be another before Sunday’s race.

Hamilton met The Queen on several occasions, such as when he received an MBE in 2008.

He also admitted he was turned away by the Queen after breaking royal protocol at a dinner in 2010.

The seven-time F1 champion said he started speaking to Her Majesty but was told he had to wait his turn.

Ahead of the Monza race, Hamilton wrote on Instagram: “How do you find the words to describe the loss of Her Majesty The Queen?

“She truly was an iconic leader, an inspiration and a comforting presence for most, if not all, of our lives.

“Since the sad news yesterday, I’ve been reflecting on her incredible life. She was a symbol of hope for so many and she served her country with dignity, devotion and kindness.

“She truly was like no other and I am grateful to have lived during her time. Her legacy will be long lasting and her death will be deeply felt.

“I had the incredible honor of spending time with her. I will never forget that.

“We spoke about our mutual love of dogs and she was incredibly generous with her time.

“I know the entire nation and many others around the world will mourn her loss, and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and all those close to her who have lost a loved one. Rest in peace.”