Anthony Joshua join football stars in paying late Queen Elizabeth II tributes

British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua, has joined the likes of Tottenham Hotspur striker and England captain Harry Kane in sending sporting tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II after the UK’s longest-serving monarch died on Thursday, at the age of 96.

The Queen reigned for 70 years after ascending the throne in 1952, and has had her eldest son, Charles, the former Prince of Wales, succeed her as the new King.

"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," Buckingham Palace announced in a statement.

"The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

Following the announcement, Joshua joined sporting world in sending messages of condolences.

"Rest in peace," the former WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion wrote in a simple tweet.

Joshua received a royal handshake from the late Queen of England after an inspiring speech he granted during the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2020. 

England and Tottenham striker Kane in his tribute, called the late Queen Elizabeth an ‘amazing inspiration’, while former England footballer Gary Lineker added: "Such a terribly sad day."

Brazilian football legend Pele, meanwhile, said: "I have been a great admirer of Queen Elizabeth II since the first time I saw her in person, in 1968, when she came to Brazil to witness our love for football and experienced the magic of a packed Maracana. Her deeds have marked generations. This legacy will last forever."

Arsenal held a moment of silence at the start of the second half of their Europa League match vs FC Zurich following the Queen’s passing, while Manchester United whose game against Real Sociedad kicked off after the news had been made public, observed a moment of silence before kick-off, before falling 1-0 to the La Liga side.

It remains unknown how the Queen's passing might affect football with this weekend's fixtures are expected to be postponed pending an announcement reportedly set to be made on Friday morning.