Queen Elizabeth to Donate to Australian Fire Victims

Queen Elizabeth II is to make a private donation to the people affected by the Australian wildfires.

Buckingham Palace declined to specify the size of the donation, which will go to the Victorian Bushfire Fund, launched by the Australian Red Cross along with the Victoria state premier and the federal government.

In a statement on Sunday, the Queen said, “I was shocked and saddened to learn of the terrible toll being exacted by the fires this weekend.”

She expressed “heartfelt condolences” to the families of those who died, “deep sympathy” to those who lost their homes, and tribute to the “extraordinary” efforts of the emergency services.

The Queen’s donation will be used to assist individuals and communities affected by the worst wildfires in Australia’s history.

Fires near Melbourne, in the south-eastern state of Victoria, have destroyed more than 750 homes, left 5,000 people homeless, and burned 1,100 square miles of land, according to the Victoria Country Fire Authority.

The final death toll is expected to be over 200 as rescuers continue to search burnt-out settlements.

The British Queen has made previous private donations before. In December 2004, she gave to those affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami. She again was generous when suicide bombers attacked London in May 2005.