Britain’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II has died “peacefully”, age 96, bringing an end to the Elizabethan era which lasted more than 70 years.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the queen passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday afternoon (local time) after doctors had recommended she remain under medical supervision.
The throne now passes to her eldest son, Charles, 73, who will be known as King Chares III. His wife Camilla becomes Queen Consort.
The new king released an official statement on the death of his “beloved Mother” which was a “moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family”.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother,” the statement 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.”
The Queen’s family rushed to be by her side at her Scottish home after doctors expressed concern about her health in recent days.
Charles was joined by the monarch’s other children the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex, and the Duke of Cambridge, now heir to the throne, with the Duke of Sussex also travelling there.
Also at Balmoral are Camilla — the new Queen Consort — and the Countess of Wessex.
Since the end of last year, the queen had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace called “episodic mobility problems” which forced her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements.
But determined to carry out her duties to the end, the Queen only two days ago conducted the swearing-in of the UK’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Ms Truss addressed a “devastated” nation on Friday morning (local time) and paid tribute to the royal stalwart who was the “rock on which modern Britain was built”.
“Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her,” she said.
The Queen’s death has plunged Britain into an official period of mourning which will officially continue until a funeral is held.
The arrangements — codenamed London Bridge — have long been planned in consultation with the government.
The UK government is expected to confirm the length of national mourning, which is likely to be around 12 to 13 days.
The Queen’s state funeral is expected take place at Westminster Abbey in central London.
Her final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel — where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.
Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.
Crowds have been flocking to Buckingham Palace to lay flowers for the unwavering head of state who had been a constant in their lives for decades.
The Queen was also the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, after caming to the throne following the death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952, when she was just 25.
She was crowned in June the following year.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a lengthy statement paying tribute to the monarch who “held a special place in her heart for Australia” after visiting 15 times.
“There is comfort to be found in Her Majesty’s own words: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
“This is a loss we all feel, for few have known a world without Queen Elizabeth II.
“In her seven remarkable decades on the throne, Her Majesty was a rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change. Through the noise and tumult of the years, she embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm.
“From the moment the young princess became Queen, shouldering the mighty weight of the institution into which she was born, Her Majesty made dedication to duty and service above self the hallmark of her reign.
“She celebrated our good times, she stood with us in the bad. Happy and glorious but steadfast too. In particular, we recall the sympathy and personal kindness she extended to Australians afflicted by tragedy and disaster.”
Elizabeth became monarch at a time when Britain still retained much of its old empire.
It was emerging from the ravages of World War II, with food rationing still in force and class and privilege still dominant in society.
Winston Churchill was Britain’s prime minister at the time, Josef Stalin led the Soviet Union and the Korean War was raging.
In the decades that followed, Elizabeth witnessed massive political change and social upheaval at home and abroad.
Her own family’s tribulations, most notably the divorce of Charles and his late first wife Diana, were played out in full public glare.
While remaining an enduring symbol of stability and continuity for Britons at a time of relative national economic decline, Elizabeth also tried to adapt the ancient institution of monarchy to the demands of the modern era.
“She has managed to modernise and evolve the monarchy like no other,” her grandson Prince William, who is now heir to the throne, said in a 2012 documentary.
-with AAP
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