Captain Tom mourned as 'beacon of hope' for world

The image of 100-year-old World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore adorned the front pages of most national newspapers in the United Kingdom on Wednesday morning following his death in hospital on Tuesday.

The Queen led tributes to the veteran with a private message of condolence to his family. Buckingham Palace said: "Her thoughts, and those of the royal family, are with them, recognizing the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world."

Captain Tom, as he became known to millions, contracted the coronavirus last week.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson described him as "not just a national inspiration but a beacon of hope for the world".

"In the face of this country's deepest postwar crisis, he united us all, he cheered us all up, and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit."

The former tank commander warmed the nation's hearts in lockdown last April by fundraising nearly 33 million pounds ($45 million) for the National Health Service as he walked laps around his garden with his zimmer frame. He was hailed then as a "one-man fundraising machine "by Prince William.

The Times reported that "the sight of this old soldier smartly dressed in jacket and regimental tie", with his "good cheer and stoicism", provided national inspiration. He was knighted for his efforts by the Queen at Windsor Castle last July.

Captain Tom was taken to Bedford Hospital on Sunday after being treated for pneumonia following his COVID-19 test.

Landmarks were lit up across the country on Tuesday evening in his memory. The London Eye and Wembley Stadium were among venues illuminated to honor the man who became a national treasure.

The government said his memory would be marked "properly and appropriately", possibly with a new charity fundraising event, the BBC reported.

After completing his 100 lap challenge on April 16, Captain Tom said: "We must all carry on and remember that things will get better. Where we've had problems before, we've overcome them, and we shall all overcome the same thing again."

On April 30, his 100th birthday, he received an estimated 150,000 cards from well-wishers around the world and the news that he had been appointed an honorary colonel.