Alliance MLA Connie Egan said she was privileged that her first address in the assembly was to pay tribute to a "remarkable woman".

"Her selfless devotion to her duties as Queen was prime example of leadership from the only monarch most of us had ever known," she said.

Ms Egan said her home town of Bangor was honoured to received city status as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year.

"The Queen was a steadfast constant in a changing world," she said.

"As we bid farewell to our longest reigning monarch, and welcome King Charles III, we remember and pay tribute to her grace, fortitude and unwavering commitment to us all."

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tom Elliott said he would remember Queen Elizabeth II as a "great friend of Northern Ireland" and said she had visited his constituency on a number of occasions.

The former UUP leader said his family household remembered the day of the Queen's accession to the throne in 1952 as it fell on the same say as his parents' wedding day.

Mr Elliott also recounted the first time he met the Queen in 1981 as an agricultural student, believing it to be a "once in a lifetime opportunity" but noted since then he had met the Queen during her visits to Northern Ireland.

He also said her public service and Christian faith would be etched in history and would be a "special era for all of us".

Sorcha Eastwood of Alliance references a visit from the Queen, when she was still Princess Elizabeth, in 1945 to Ms Eastwood's constituency of Lagan Valley.

"Typical of the future Queen's selflessness and like so many others she had joined the ATS [Auxiliary Territorial Service] and visited RAF Long Kesh in her uniform," Ms Eastwood said.

"I can't imagine how much this would have meant to people at the time, including my granny, who was working in the factory and my granddad working for 23 MU (No 23 Maintenance Unit) RAF at that base."

She says this came to characterise the Queen - "humble, down to earth and not wanting to be served but to serve."

Lagan Valley MLA Paul Givan began by praising King Charles III and other members of the royal family for putting duty first to comfort the nation.

"When all seemed hopeless, she gave hope that better times were ahead," he said when referencing the Queen's relationship with Northern Ireland in its "darkest hours".

The former DUP first minister said the Queen's visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 "transformed relationships in Northern Ireland and across this island".

Mr Givan also recounted meeting the Queen on a number of occasions and said when in her company "you knew you were in the presence of greatness."

"We look forward to a new era, one that the King will build upon her legacy," he added.

Steve Aiken of the UUP reminisces about meeting the Queen on numerous occasions, not least because of his role commanding nuclear-powered submarine HMS Sovereign.

He told the chamber: "She asked me about my command.

"I said the Sovereign was a pleasure to be captain of but she was now showing her age, creaking a bit in the wrong places and needed an awful lot of tender loving care just to get her going."

Mr Aiken said she then turned to him, with a twinkle in her eye and said: "Commander I do hope the sovereign you're talking about is the submarine and not me."

John Blair of the Alliance Party was next to pay tribute.

He said the Queen clearly believed that people, whatever their background, opinion or faith should "respect help and support each other.

"This fits with her frequent references to forgiveness and reconciliation," he said.

"It is my hope that these themes will be carried forward by all in public life in her memory and in honour of her life."

DUP MLA Joanne Bunting said she had no words "sufficiently adequate or eloquent" to convey her or her constituent's feelings.

"For many of us, she was the only constant we have ever known. Indeed it feels like the loss of a family member," she said.

While she never met the Queen, Ms Bunting said the closest she came was during her visit to the Titanic Quarter in 2012 when the Queen sat two tables away.

She recounted how every time she caught a glimpse of the Queen in her eyeline, she would begin to cry.

"So completely transfixed and unable to draw my eyes from her, I blubbed my way through the entire afternoon," she said.

All dignity, composure and indeed make-up gone, but completely overjoyed that I had even been in her presence. I will never forget that day."

Speaking of King Charles III, Ms Bunting said that in his own time of grief, he had sought to comfort and reassure his people.

Alan Chambers of the UUP began with condolences to the Queen's family.

"As father of this house, I suspect, there will only be a few like myself, serving in this house that can proudly say that the Queen reigned over them for the entirety of her 70-year monarch," he said.

"I am proud to have had the opportunity and honour to have worn a uniform of the crown in dutiful service to Her Majesty and the community".

"We were indeed blessed to have her as our monarch."

He added that he was confident the new King would follow her example.

Alliance Party MLA Patricia O'Lynn said the Queen was a "true leader, dedicated public servant and a dignified figurehead."

She also made reference to the Queen's contribution to peacebuilding in Northern Ireland, adding that it would "never be forgotten" and her "legacy would echo throughout the generations."

Ms O'Lynn recounted her experience of meeting the Queen at an event in 2019 when she was introduced to the monrach as an aspiring Alliance politician from North Antrim, an area where the party had historically not had much success.

"Not once did she flinch, not once did she react. She smiled at me and said she was always fascinated by those politicians who became so disheartened when faced with deceit," she said.

"She then continued to say, 'One must never give up'.

"For me this short and simple phrase captures the essence of peacebuilding. It is the essence of public service and it is the essence of dignity.

"It is also, I believe, the essence of her spirit."

Ms O'Lynn sent a message to King Charles III, wishing him a "long, happy and successful reign".

Former DUP leader Edwin Poots said he met the Queen on a number of occasions.

He recalled a visit by her to the South West Acute Hospital, in County Fermanagh, which she opened and met staff at

Mr Poots said she spoke to them with "grace, compassion, caring and humility".

"She followed Christ's example of grace, compassion and humility," he added.

"She didn't just meet friends -- she met people who would not be assumed to be friends.

"She met people, who it was difficult for her to do, and it was difficult for them to."

He added that she did that to help build relationships which had been "broken for centuries".

Health Minister Robin Swann said Queen Elizabeth II demonstrated the "highest standard of public service" during her 70-year reign.

Mr Swann said the Queen's message to healthcare workers and the public during the Covid-19 pandemic was "characteristic of who she was".

The former Ulster Unionist Party leader also made reference to the "poignant" image of the Queen sitting on her own during the funeral of her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2021.

Mr Swann paid tribute to the lifelong "service, dedication and commitment" to the people she served.

The Alliance Party's Stewart Dickson said he was born in the reign of the late Queen's father George VI and his first real memory of her was her 1961 visit to Northern Ireland, when she visited Carrickfergus.

"I was standing there with my parents at the hospital and that's the day I caught my first glimpse of the Queen as she waved to the crowds," Mr Dickson said.

Many years later he was invited to Buckingham Palace as a fellow of The Churchill Fellowship, external to celebrate 50 years of the fellowship, oh which she was the patron.

He said he had a "cherished" conversation with her about Carrickfergus.

She joined the fellows in informal groups to chat to them and hear their stories about Sir Winston Churchill.

She was a "gracious host and we were entertained to late in the evening," he added.

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen called Queen Elizabeth II the "embodiment" of the national anthem, adding that she was noble, gracious and victorious in winning over the hearts of people.

"She leaves the British monarchy in a much stronger and respected position than it has ever been," Ms McIlveen said.

Ms McIlveen added that the Queen's death making international headlines showed that she was a "very special woman".

"She was more than just our Queen. She was the world's Queen," the DUP MLA said.

Image source, Pacemaker

People Before Profit's only assembly member, Gerry Carroll, will not attend the sitting of the assembly.

He said he respected the wishes of others to mourn, but did not want to take part in a ceremony which "uncritically supports the institution of monarchy."

“The monarchy has spearheaded British imperialism and colonialism over the centuries, as well as copper-fastening the kind of inequality we witness across society today," he said in a statement.

“We believe the time has come to move beyond an institution which is outdated and unequal, and to begin an honest conversation about the society around us.

"I have no interest in conducting that debate in the space which others have chosen to mourn, but nor will I choose to partake in such ceremonies.”

Independent unionist MLA Claire Sudgeon said Queen Elizabeth II was our "greatest public servant."

"Women inspire me in all the roles they perform - as mothers, grandmothers, sisters, wives, friends, public servants, leaders and monarchy - the Queen was all of these," she said.

"The crown on her head is not what made her Elizabeth the great, rather the duty she fiercely upheld for those she served, even in her final days.

"She carried past legacy into a changing and modern future but remained constant in her stoicism, her ability to relate and connect with people and served as a unifying centre in an age where communication has blurred humanity."

Independent unionist MLA Alex Easton paid his tribute to Queen Elizabeth II by saying the country had not only lost "our Queen, but our rock."

"Her Majesty was the rock that we looked to in times of trouble, and we were never failed," he said.

Mr Easton said the Queen led an exemplary life and it was impossible to do justice to her.

"We thank you for your unparalleled service, we say thank you for your leadership, we say thank you for your guiding hand and voice that had that amazing ability to encapsulate everything that needed to be said in both joy and sorrow," he added.

Mr Easton also offered his condolences and sympathies to the Royal Family.

Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister was next to speak and he referenced the Queen's 21st birthday in South Africa when she made a speech including her famous declaration to dedicate her life to the service of her subjects.

"Has ever a pledge been more fully or splendidly carried through than that pledge?" Mr Allister asked.

He praised her capacity for "empathy" and putting people at ease.

"Hers was not a life immune from heartache," he added, referring to the murder of her husband's uncle Lord Mountbatten by the IRA.

The SDLP's Matthew O'Toole began by saying he was conscious of the "deep and real mourning" of those who were grieving the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

"What was remarkable about the late Queen was her ability to win the respect, and even affection, from people from a hugely diverse range of backgrounds," he said.

Mr O'Toole added that the Queen's seven decades of service would prompt reflection from "virtually everyone" and that her most notable achievement in Northern Ireland came with her "extraordinary contribution" to reconciliation.

Reflecting on her visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011, Mr O'Toole said her visit to the Garden of Remembrance, her "Cúpla Focal" and willingness to engage in the "complexity of British and Irish history", were "significant acts" for a British monarch.

"We are all products of history, but we have a choice about how we respond to history," he said.

"The example of Queen Elizabeth was to stretch herself, to be generous and to use the symbolic power of her role not simply to command loyalty but to win respect, warmth and build bridges."

Mr O'Toole added that he was not a monarchist and while his party could be against the institution, it could acknowledge the Queen was an "exceptional woman and exceptional monarch".

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie began by sending his condolences on behalf of the party to the Royal Family.

He said Queen Elizabeth II reigned through "massive political, social and economic change" throughout her 70-year reign.

"Throughout these changes and challenges, the Queen remained a constant, creating stability and a national focus," Mr Beattie said.

He added that the Queen never lost her "common, personable touch" despite meeting with multiple political figureheads, heads of state and other royal families.

Mr Beattie said he felt deeply saddened by the loss of the Queen and recounted reading his Oath of Allegiance when he was a 16-year-old soldier.

"I've served beneath the Queen's colours all my life," he said.

Mr Beattie said the Queen's visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 showed "courage, leadership and generosity of spirit" and that she had won the hearts of Irish people.

He added that the Queen knew of the symbolism behind thehandshake between herself and Martin McGuinness in 2012.

"The Queen is dead. Long live the King," he ended.

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said while being part of a monarchy brought privilege "not everyone who is subject to such immense privilege gives so much in return".

She said that right to the Queen's final hours she carried out her duty.

"She personified something which, I think, most people could admire," the justice minister told the chamber.

Ms Long said the Queen had a "twinkle in her eye" recalling the "sense of fun" she embodied in the James Bond sketch she did for the 2012 London Olympics.

"She led the country though times of unprecedented change," said Ms Long, while "embodying a constancy at the heart of it all".

"For me her graciousness and generosity were exemplified in her engagement on these islands," she added.

She said the Queen's example had given many people here "permission" to reconcile.