Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has died at the age of 96, according to Buckingham Palace on September 8.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the statement said. 

“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” 

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The news comes just hours after doctors expressed concern about her health, prompting senior members of the royal family to rush to her side at her Scottish home of Balmoral Castle.

She had been suffering from “episodic mobility problems”, according to Buckingham Palace. This forced the monarch to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements.

Despite this, the Queen’s last public engagement came only on Tuesday this week when she appointed Liz Truss as Britain’s new prime minister.

Queen Elizabeth II was the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state after coming to the throne when she was just 25, following the death of her father, King George VI.

In the decades that followed, the Queen witnessed and anchored Britain through massive political change and social upheaval at home and abroad. She served her nation for 70 years, and marked her Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Yet, despite her age, the Queen has always been lauded for adapting to the demands of the modern era and frequently has engaged younger members of society with skits and fun ideas such as a Paddington Bear skit she participated in recently for the Platinum Jubilee concert on June 4 in London.

Now, the Queen’s eldest son, Charles, automatically becomes King of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. His wife Camilla automatically becomes the Queen Consort.

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