Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the head of state for seven decades, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace has announced.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the Palace said in a statement.
“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Doctors had placed the queen under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle, her estate in the Scottish Highlands.
Her last public appearance was on Tuesday, when the queen met new prime minister Liz Truss, in the drawing room at Balmoral, the 15th British prime minister to have an audience with the queen upon taking office.
Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June marked her 70 years on the throne.
King Charles III said in a statement: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is 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 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.”
