US President George W. Bush expressed deep sadness.
"She was a pillar of strength and inspiration to many people all over the world," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the Queen Mother's symbolic role in boosting British morale in the fight against Nazi Germany -- with Adolf Hitler reportedly calling her Europe's most dangerous woman for sticking by Londoners under bombing.
And in France, where King Louis XVI met a grisly end at the guillotine during the revolution, President Jacques Chirac hailed her as a British icon.
"The kindness of her smile made her one of the most engaging figures of our time," he said.
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