Queen Elizabeth II has died peacefully at the age of 96 in Balmoral, ending a remarkable reign of more than 70 years.
The national anthem was played on the BBC after Buckingham Palace confirmed the sad news, while mourners outside the gates were in tears shortly after the announcement.
Earlier today, at 12.32pm, the Palace said that doctors were concerned for the monarch’s health, sparking widespread concerns across the country. Within four hours, the Prime Minister was made aware that the monarch had died, but the country would not officially learn the news for another two.
Elizabeth’s children – including the new King Charles – flew to the Scottish Highlands, so that Her Majesty’s family could be at her side in her final moments.
Buckingham Palace, where the flags have already been lowered to half mast, said in a statement at around 6.30pm: ‘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.’
Prince William, now first in line to the throne, also headed to Scotland, with Prince Andrew and the Duke and Duchess of Wessex.
Prince Harry travelled without Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, to be at the Queen’s bedside, but sadly appears to have not made it there in time to say a final goodbye.
Kate stayed in Windsor to take care of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who had their first full day at their new school.
The first indication that the Queen’s health had deteriorated came on Wednesday evening when she pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting, a day after appointing Liz Truss as PM. Her exact cause of death has not yet been revealed.
The country will now go into a period of mourning, led by Charles – who will be known as King Charles III – following his automatic accession to the throne.
The UK’s longest-serving and oldest ever monarch, Elizabeth has suffered a series of illnesses over the last few months.
She was ordered to rest for weeks following an overnight stay in hospital in October and missed a series of public events.
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Then in February, she contracted Covid-19, which she said made her feel exhausted.
There was also speculation about her mobility in her final months, with reports that Balmoral had been fitted with chairlifts.
Elizabeth became Queen in February 1952 and her coronation was 16 months later.
Her reign saw a period of significant change with 15 prime ministers serving under her.
She was a stable figure throughout historic events such as the collapse of the British Empire, man landing on the moon, the Cold War and the invention of the internet.
Tributes are already pouring in from across the world, including the 15 countries for which she was head of state and another 36 countries that form the Commonwealth.
On her third day in office, Liz Truss declared the nation ‘devastated’ and said it was a ‘huge shock to the nation’ that the country’s ‘rock’ had died.
The PM was informed of the Queen’s death at 4.30pm by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, her official spokesman said.
Following her statement in Downing Street, Ms Truss spoke to the King and she is also expected to chair a meeting of ministers at 9pm.
The Queen was widely considered to be a much-loved monarch in the UK, who closely guarded her personal opinions, aside from her religious faith, which she regularly spoke about in public speeches and at events.
Born in April 1926, she won praise over the years for her integrity and sense of duty.
In recent years, Elizabeth’s public appearances became less frequent, partly due to the pandemic, and partly because of her failing health.
Her death came nearly 18 months after that of her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021.
They had four children, King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
They also have eight grandchildren – including the new heir to the throne, Prince William, who is now likely to be given the title the Prince of Wales from his father – and 12 great-grandchildren.
It has been seven decades since a monarch has died in the UK, meaning many of the traditional protocols now in motion will be seen for the first time by the majority of people in the hours, days and weeks to come.
Preparations for the Queen’s death have been ongoing for decades with the code ‘London Bridge is down’ being used to alert ministers of state.
Support for the monarchy remains strong and Elizabeth’s personal popularity high, but she has faced some republican sentiment during her reign.
She described 1992 as her ‘annus horribilis’ (horrible year) following the breakdown of her children’s marriages and a major fire at her favourite home, Windsor Castle, where she chose to live in her final years.
There was also criticism of her response to the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
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But she was widely admired around the globe and won praise from countless world leaders over the decades.
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