By Lucy Caulkett-
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-reigning monarch, has died at the age of 96
She died peacefully at Balmoral Castle on Thursday afternoon the palace has confirmed.
The Crown passes immediately to her son and heir Charles, who will officially be known as King Charles III
The new King described his mother’s death was a moment of “the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family”.
Earlier today, news about concerns over her health interrupted a Commons debate, where the new prime minister, Liz Truss was discussing plans to limit energy bills.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle intervened to say that the “thoughts and prayers” of MPs were with the Queen’s family.
Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was appointed by the Queen just two days ago, described her as “the rock upon which modern Britain was built”
Prime Minister Liz Truss said Queen Elizabeth II leaves a “great legacy”.
“Today the Crown passes, as it has done for more than a thousand years, to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III.
“With the King’s family we mourn the loss of his mother and come together.
“We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to us for so long.”
She finishes her statement saying it is “the passing of the second Elizabethan age”.
Truss concludes by saying: “God save the King.”
Devastated
She said “we are all devastated” at the news of the Queen’s death, which is a “huge shock to the nation and the world”.
She describes the Queen as “a rock on which modern Britain was built”, adding: “Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”
She said the Queen was a personal inspiration to her as well as many Britons.
“Her devotion to duty is an example to us all.”
Statement From prince Charles
A statement issued by the Royal Family on behalf of Charles, the new King, read: “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.
“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.
“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 steered the monarchy through turbulent times, as Britain’s Empire ended and its place in the world fundamentally changed. She was head of state of the UK and 14 other countries, including Australia, Canada and Jamaica.
Crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace this evening in a joint solemn mood in memory of one of the most remarkable reign of a British monarchy.
The leader of the opposition has said the country will always “treasure Queen Elizabeth II’s life of service and devotion to our nation and the Commonwealth”.
In a tribute posted on Twitter, Sir Keir Starmer added the Queen stood “not for what the nation fought over, but what it agreed upon”.
He added although she stood as the head of our country, “in spirit, she stood amongst us”.
Parliament will be immediately suspended to prepare for her state funeral.
Thousands of people will head to Scotland to pay their respects and mourn, and will congregate in Edinburgh St Giles’ Cathedral, the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The monarch would be conveyed from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh on a special train, where it is understood the Queen would initially rest in state at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Andrew faced allegations from Virginia Roberts Giuffre that he had had sex with her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by Epstein. He denied those allegations but was forced to settle a civil lawsuit out of court to kill the matter after Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted at trial in the US over charges that he recruited girls for Epstein.
That whole episode on top of the chaos sparked by the bombshell interview given by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, while Philip was in hospital, certainly added pressure to her mind. The controversial couple accused an unnamed member of the royal family of racism towards their son, Archie, before he was born, and the institution of failing to help the duchess.
The Queen issued a statement, saying that the matter would be dealt with privately. She had later called for peace in the family, and wanted a line drawn over all the tension.
Queen Elizabeth has always commanded respect and had a dignified aura. She dutifully fulfilled a role she was born to do, never getting involved in political matters, despite being known among royal circles to have strong political views of her own.
She will be sorely missed. May her soul rest in perfect peace,