Catherine Zeta-Jones reveals Queen’s death felt like ‘loss of a real family member'

Catherine Zeta-Jones paid an emotional tribute to Queen Elizabeth, saying that it felt like "losing a real family member" following the death of the British monarch, who passed away on Thursday.

The Welsh actress, 52, revealed that the news of Queen’s death had made her homesick but “proud of my heritage.”

Speaking at Disney’s D23 Expo on Saturday, Zeta-Jones said she had called her family back home and “felt like a little piece of me had gone”.

“I’m a big royalist and I love the royal family and what they do for our country,” she told the PA news agency.

“I’m in a country that has never had a woman as a figure of leadership, of power and of respect, and so I shall miss her dearly,” she said.

Zeta-Jones continued, “I don’t know whether it’s because I’m British but I just felt like a little piece of me had gone.”

“There will never be a queen in my lifetime again, but it was a very strange feeling. (I felt) very homesick, very proud of my heritage.”

The Legend of Zorro actress also praised the Queen and said that the monarch had been “a real inspiration” and a figure of “power and respect.”

She also expressed hopes for the new King of Britain, saying that she believed King Charles would do “an exceptional job” as “the baton was passed.”

Zeta-Jones joined the many tributes from famous personalities that have poured in from home and abroad following the announcement of the Queen’s death. She was 96.