Daniel Craig has paid tribute to his London 2012 Olympics sketch partner Queen Elizabeth

Daniel Craig has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth after she died “peacefully” aged 96.

The James Bond actor, 54, famously once joined Her Majesty as the spy for their landmark sketch that opened the London 2012 Olympics, and said on Thursday (08.09.22) the monarch will be “profoundly missed”.

He said in a statement given to the Press Association news agency: “I, like so many, was deeply saddened by the news today and my thoughts are with the royal family, those she loved and all those who loved her.

“She leaves an incomparable legacy and will be profoundly missed.”

The sketch he filmed with the Queen, in which he took on the role of James Bond, saw the pair leave Buckingham Palace in a helicopter for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Games.

A stunt double of the monarch then leapt from the helicopter, before the real monarch then dramatically appeared at her seat in the Olympic Stadium.

Her son Prince Charles, now King Charles III, was among droves of figures who paid tribute to the Queen after her death at Balmoral was announced on Thursday evening.

He said: “The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”

Others to pay tribute have included Harry Kane, Gary Lineker, Sir Elton John and Stephen Fry – as well as a range of world leaders including US President Joe Biden, who is flying the flag at half mast at the White House in honour of the monarch, who he praised for helping bring stability to an unstable world.