LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch of the United Kingdom and head of the Commonwealth, has died at age 96, Buckingham Palace announced.
“The queen died on Thursday as members of her immediate family rushed to her side, including her son and heir, Prince Charles.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the statement read. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
A statement from Charles, now his Majesty the King and King Charles III, issued a statement shortly after the news broke of his mother’s death. “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,” the statement read. “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.”
A crowd forms near Buckingham Palace on Friday. (Toby Melville)
Prime Minister Liz Truss paid tribute to the queen following the news of her death. Speaking outside of her residence at No. 10 Downing Street, Truss said it had been a “huge shock to the nation and the world. Truss said Thursday marked the “passing of the second Elizabethan age.” She concluded her address by saying: “God save the king.”
Earlier Thursday, the palace announced royal doctors were concerned over her health and placed her under medical supervision at her residence at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff following the queen’s death.
On Tuesday, the queen fulfilled her final official engagement as she swore in Truss as prime minister — the 15th prime minister in her 70-year-long reign. It was the first time the handover took place at Balmoral and not the queen’s official residence of Buckingham Palace, as the queen moved to her retreat in Aberdeenshire during the summer due to ongoing mobility issues.