The UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.
Queen Elizabeth II has died at Balmoral Palace in Scotland, at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace has announced, having ruled for longer than any other monarch in British history.
Her eldest son Charles is now King, acceding to the throne immediately upon her death.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
“The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Senior royals had gathered at the Queen’s Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday with all the Queen’s children coming to be by her side after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
Her son King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a “moment of great 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 the coming period, he said he and his family would be “comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held”.
He will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms. Camilla, his wife, becomes Queen Consort.
A statement from His Majesty The King: pic.twitter.com/AnBiyZCher
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
The Queen reigned for more than 70 years, coming to the throne on the death of her father George VI in 1952.
Britain’s Prime Minister Liz Truss, who the Queen appointed to the role only on Tuesday, said the former monarch was “the rock on which modern Britain was built”.
“Our country has grown and flourished under her reign.”
