Update: Queen Elizabeth passed away on Thursday at the age of 96. For full coverage, click here.
The royal family is mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth, after announcing on Thursday that the long-serving monarch had died at the age of 96.
The Queen’s son, Charles, said in a statement on Thursday: “The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty, is a very sad moment for me and all my family members.”
“We deeply mourn the passing of a sovereign and a very dear mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt by countless people across the nation, the realms and the Commonwealth and around the world.
“During this period of mourning and transformation, me and my family will be comforted and supported by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”
After Buckingham Palace announced she was under medical supervision with doctors “concerned for Her Majesty’s health”, senior members of the Royal Family arrived in Scotland on Thursday to be with the Queen.
The castle then said she was “comfortable” and stayed at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she had spent the summer.
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Charles, along with his wife, Camilla and sister, Princess Anne, were with the Queen at Balmoral Castle even before the announcement about his health on Thursday.
A fleet of cars carrying Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and their wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, arrived at Aberdeen airport at 5pm (local time) Balmoral, about an hour after a plane carrying the royal contingent Castle arrived.
Prince Harry, who was due to attend a charity awards ceremony in London later on Thursday, canceled that appearance and was separately making his way to Scotland. PA Media reported that he was traveling without his wife Meghan.
The announcement about the Queen’s health came a day after the Queen canceled her Privy Council meeting and was asked to rest.
The Privy Council, a group of senior advisers to the monarch, was due to formally swear in Britain’s Prime Minister Liz Truss and her new cabinet members at Wednesday’s meeting. The session will be held later.
Britain’s longest-reigning Queen has been suffering from what Buckingham Palace called an “episodic mobility problem” since late last year.
Last October, she spent a night in the hospital, and was forced to cut back on public engagements after that.
World leaders worry
Prime Minister before the news of Rani’s death Justin Trudeau tweeted That his views “and the views of Canadians across the country” were with the monarch.
The truce, which was interrupted during a debate in the House of Commons to inform about the Queen’s position, said on Twitter that the entire nation was “deeply concerned”.
“My thoughts – and the thoughts of the people of our United Kingdom – are with the Queen and her family at this time,” she wrote.
The White House said that US President Joe Biden has been briefed about the situation with the Queen.
“He and the First Lady’s thoughts are with the Queen and her family today,” White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday.
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said Queen Elizabeth is in the thoughts and prayers of the UK Parliament.
Those sentiments were echoed by Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister for Scotland.
My thoughts and those of Canadians across the country are with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at this time. We are wishing him well and giving our best to the royal family.
Keir Starmer, leader of the British opposition Labor Party, said: “Along with the rest of the country, I am deeply concerned by the news of Buckingham Palace this afternoon.”
Elizabeth completed seven decades on the throne this year. She has increasingly delegated duties to Charles and other members of the royal family in recent months as she struggled to move around.
Crowds outside Buckingham Palace
Hundreds of well-wishers stood in the rain outside Buckingham Palace as concerns about the Queen’s health grew, some carrying flowers.
“I work nearby and I heard the news about Her Majesty’s ill health, so I was worried and it prompted me to come to Buckingham Palace, to be at the center of the monarchy,” said Alexander Caplan, 40. , a technology entrepreneur in London.
Londoners poured out their best wishes for Queen Elizabeth after doctors expressed concern about the 96-year-old monarch’s health. The Queen lives under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle.
Elizabeth has been queen of the UK and more than a dozen other countries, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, since 1952. Earlier this year, he marked his 70th year on the throne with four days of national celebrations in June.
“I am moved by the kindness, joy and kinship that has become so evident in recent times, and I hope to feel this renewed sense of togetherness for many years to come,” she said at the time.
Elizabeth came to the throne on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI, when she was just 25 years old.
He was crowned in June of the following year. The first televised coronation was a foreshadowing of a new world in which the lives of royals were to be increasingly scrutinized by the media.
She became emperor at a time when Britain retained most of its empire. It was emerging from the ravages of World War II, food rationing was still in force and class and privilege were still dominant in society.
Winston Churchill was the first prime minister to serve during his reign, Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union, and the Korean War was raging.