The longest reigning monarch in British history has died at the age of 96. Queen Elizabeth II served seven decades on the throne.
The queen “died peacefully” on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, her estate in the Scottish Highlands, Buckingham Palace announced.
Her son Charles, 73, is now king.
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
King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a “moment of great sadness” for him and his family and that her loss would be “deeply felt” around the world.
Senior royals had gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday.
The Queen came to the throne in 1952 after her father’s death. In June, she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years on the throne.
“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,” King Charles said following his mother’s death.
He said during the period of mourning and change 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”.
After Thursday’s announcement, a flood of condolences came in from all corners of the globe, including the White House.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era,” President Joe Biden said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
“In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her.”
Biden first met the Queen forty years ago on a trip to the United Kingdom with a U.S. Senate delegation. He called the Queen a “stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy” who deepened the alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States.
“Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.”
