French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Twitter that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has embodied the British nation’s continuity and unity for over 70 years.
"I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century," Macron said.
*Meanwhile the Eiffel Tower's lights will go out early on Thursday night in tribute to Queen Elizabeth, with Parisians recalling a British monarch who anchored her country through upheaval with poise and grace for longer than many have lived.
The 1997 death in Paris of her former daughter-in-law Princess Diana prompted Elizabeth to endure some of the darkest days of her 70 years on the throne, when the palace seemed disconnected from the outpouring of public grief.
At the Flame of Liberty monument above the underpass where Diana was killed, some passers-by paused to remember a national figurehead and Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
"She was the person who defined Britain," said optician Salima Gersa.
Read more of these reports from Reuters here and Yahoo! News here.