Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.
Prince Charles is now king.
It is a moment that the United Kingdom has been bracing for, with an elaborate plan for “Operation London Bridge” mapping out what happens next.
But it comes as a shock all the same.
The royal family said in a statement: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
The queen planned for her succession for some time — and Charles increasingly took on more royal duties as her health worsened.
Also, the British royal residence Clarence House has confirmed that Charles will be known as King Charles III following the death of Elizabeth II.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Liz Truss had used the title in remarks outside 10 Downing Street: “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.”
Britain’s former prime minister Boris Johnson as much as confirmed that when he said the Queen had “modernised the constitutional monarchy” and “produced an heir to the throne who will amply do justice to her legacy.”
“Though our voices may still be choked with sadness, we can say with confidence the words not heard in this country for more than seven decades: God save the King.” (PA Media/dpa/NAN)