London, Sep 8: Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. She was 96.
Her death brings to an end the longest reign in the history of the UK, and one of the longest reigns by any head of state. It lasted seven years longer than that of Queen Victoria.
Her family had been gathering at her Scottish estate in Aberdeenshire after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday. The UK now has a new monarch in Charles, the former Prince of Wales.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
“The King and the Queen Consort [Charles and Camilla] will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow [Friday],” the statement said.
“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,” Charles, the new King, said in a statement released by the Royal Family.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother,” Charles, 73, said.
“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,” he said.
Elizabeth II became Queen on the death of her father King George VI on 6 February 1952. She held her coronation at Westminster Abbey the following year.
With her death, her eldest son and heir Charles will lead the country in mourning as the new King and Head of State for 14 Commonwealth realms. Charles and the Queen’s close family members travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.
Her grandson, Prince William, is also there, with his brother, Prince Harry, on his way.
The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, was already by her side at the Scottish castle and her other children – Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – joined later. Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who were in London for a charity event, also rushed to Harry’s grandmother’s summer residence.
No official details have been released about what will happen over the coming days, but it is anticipated that the Queen will be given a full state funeral, as is traditional to mark the death of a monarch. It is also expected that her body will lie in state to allow the public to pay tribute. King Charles III will sign off the final plans in the coming days. (PTI)
