
Buckingham Palace confirms that Queen Elizabeth II has passed away.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the Palace wrote.
“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” the statement continued.
It came after a day of growing concern about her declining health and her family rushed to Balmoral to be there for her.
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His Majesty the King, to be known as King Charles III, described his mother’s death as a “moment of the greatest sadness”.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt through the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world, ” he said in a statement.
“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 was so widely held.”
Prime minister Liz Truss was earlier this week sworn into office by the Queen. She paid her own tribute on the steps at Downing Street.
“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,” she said.
“Queen Elizabeth II was a rock on which modern Britain was built. Under her reign, our country has prospered and grown. Britain is today the great nation it is because she ruled.
“She ascended the thrown just after the Second World War. She championed the growth of the Commonwealth from a small group with 7 countries to a family that included 56 nations across every continent. We are now a modern and thriving nation.
“Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II has provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed. She was the spirit of Great Britain, and that spirit will never die. She was our longest-reigning monarch. It is an extraordinary feat to have presided over such dignity and grace for so many years. Her service was beyond what most of us can remember. She was admired and loved by all people around the world, as well as in the United Kingdom.
“She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her dedication to duty is an example for us all. As she appointed me her 15th Prime Minister, she was 96 and determined to fulfill her duties.
“Throughout her life she has visited more than 100 countries, and she has touched the lives of millions around the world. We will be reunited with our friends from the Commonwealth, the UK and around the globe to celebrate her extraordinary life of service in the difficult days ahead.
“It is a day of great loss. Queen Elizabeth II, however, leaves a tremendous legacy. Today, the Crown passes, as it did for more than 1,000 year, to our new monarch, 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 carry the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all. We offer our loyalty and devotion to him, just as his mother did for so many over so many years.
“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’.”
This news comes following an afternoon of intense concern about the Queen’s health.
A statement released by Buckingham Palace detailed how the Queen’s doctors were “concerned” for Her Majesty’s health, recommending “that she remain under medical supervision”.
Proceedings in parliament were interrupted as Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle issued a statement in which he said, “I know I speak on behalf of the entire House when I say that we send our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen and that she and the royal family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment”.
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