The world's most recognisable icon and the longest-reigning queen in British history, Queen Elizabeth II, has passed away. She was 96.
Buckingham Palace confirmed her death in a short statement yesterday, initiating 10 days of national mourning and an outpouring of tributes to her long life and record-breaking reign.
At 6.30 p.m., Buckingham Palace released a statement saying, “The Queen passed away peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon” (1730 GMT).
The King and the Queen Consort will spend this evening and tomorrow in Balmoral before flying back to London.
Charles, Prince of Wales, the oldest of her four children and the oldest heir apparent in British history at 73, succeeds her as monarch right away.
Following the palace's previous statement yesterday that doctors were “concerned” for her health and that she remain under medical monitoring, the queen passed away.
Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, all of whom are now in their sixties and seventies, came to her Scottish Highland home, Balmoral.
Charles's sons, Prince William and his estranged brother Prince Harry, joined them.
Two days previously, the queen named Liz Truss as the 15th prime minister of her reign and was pictured smiling in images but looking feeble and using a walking stick.
One image from the encounter that showed a dark purple bruise on the monarch's right hand caused concern.
Following World War II, Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne at the young age of 25 in 1952, entering a political world stage dominated by leaders such as US president Dwight D. Eisenhower, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong of China.
Her 70-year rule coincided with enormous social, political, and technological change spanning two centuries.
The final ruins of Britain's extensive empire fell. At home, Brexit upended her realm and caused a string of hardships for her family.