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Queen Elizabeth II has died at age 96. She passed away at Balmoral, her Scottish country residence, on Thursday with members of the royal family, including her children and heirs, at her side.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the Royal Family tweeted on Thursday afternoon. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” The stark sentences were also attached as a sign to the gates of Buckingham Palace.
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A precisely choreographed, 10-day period of official mourning is now underway, on the last day of which the queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey. Charles will be officially declared king, and become known as King Charles III. He will personally address the nation on Friday.
“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,” King Charles said in a statement. “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 is held.”
British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was officially appointed by the queen on Tuesday in the last public photographs taken of the monarch, said: “We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world. Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.
“She ascended the throne just after the Second World War. She championed the development of the commonwealth, to a family of 56 nations spanning every continent of the world. Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed. She was the very spirit of Great Britain, and that spirit will endure. She has been our longest-ever reigning monarch. It’s an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years. Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories. In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world.”
An emotional crowd quickly gathered outside Buckingham Palace Thursday afternoon, where an announcement of the queen’s death had been put on display. Some sang “God Save the Queen.”
The announcement came after her doctors earlier in the day were “concerned” for her health and were keeping her under medical supervision, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
The 96-year-old British monarch was evaluated Thursday morning, the spokesperson said in a statement. The queen “remained comfortable,” the statement added.
Prince Charles and Camilla were at Balmoral, along with Prince William, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie.
Prince Harry, who was in Britain as part of a tour with his wife Meghan Markle, also flew to Balmoral—but arrived there after the announcement of the queen’s death had been made, while he was still in mid-air on a plane. Meghan, despite earlier reports that she was also traveling north, ultimately did not. She could potentially join Harry in Scotland at a later date, a source told the Daily Mail.
Dramatic photographs showed Prince William driving Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie into Balmoral. Meanwhile, people gathered in the pouring rain outside the gates of Buckingham Palace hundreds of miles away in London, awaiting a further official announcement—some had brought flowers.
Those flowers grew in number, alongside onlookers and mourners, at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle after the announcement of the queen’s death.
The queen had been suffering from mobility problems and looked frail as she appointed Liz Truss as Britain's new prime minister on Tuesday. She was forced to pull out of a Privy Council meeting the next day.
With over 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. During her reign, the queen was served by 15 prime ministers—the first being Winston Churchill, in 1952—and 14 U.S. presidents.
Truss spoke of the queen, but also the future of the monarchy: “She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all. Earlier this week at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 25th Prime Minister. Throughout her life she has visited more than 100 countries and she has touched the lives of millions around the world.
“In the difficult days ahead we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service. It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy. Today the crown passes, as it has done for more than 1,000 years to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty, King Charles III.
“With the King’s family, we mourn the loss of his mother, and as we mourn, we must come together as a people to support him to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all. We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long. And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her majesty would have wished, by saying the words: ‘God save the King.’”
