Queen Elizabeth II has died

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where she spent most of the summer.

The Queen ascended the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.

Her son King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a “time of great sadness” for him and his family and that her loss would be “felt deeply” around the world.

The official notice read: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.

During the coming period of mourning, he said he and his family would be “satisfied and sustained by our knowledge of the deep respect and affection in which the Queen holds so much”.

The king and his wife, Camilla, now the Queen Consort, will return to London on Friday, Buckingham Palace said.

The senior royals gathered at Balmoral after the Queen’s doctors had worried about her health the previous day.

All of the Queen’s children traveled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision. Her grandson and now heir to the throne, Prince William, and his brother, Prince Harry, also gathered there.

Queen Elizabeth II’s tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to the Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and Britain’s entry into – and withdrawal from – the European Union.

Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Ms Truss, born 101 years later in 1975.

She held weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout her reign. At Buckingham Palace in London, the crowd waiting for an update on the Queen’s condition began to cry when they heard of her death.

The Union flag above the palace was lowered to half-mast at 6:30 p.m. BST and an official notice announcing the death was posted outside.

On the Queen’s death, Prince William and his wife, Catherine, became the Dukes and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall.