LONDON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch in history, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.
"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
"The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," it added, indicating her son, Prince Charles, has now become Britain's new King.
Earlier in the day, Buckingham Palace said the monarch was under medical supervision due to doctors' concerns over her health. The royal family members soon rushed to Scotland to be at her side following the announcement.
Queen Elizabeth II died two days after she appointed Liz Truss as Britain's new prime minister, succeeding Boris Johnson.
The monarch made fewer public appearances in recent months due to mobility issues after recovering from COVID-19 in February.
During the four-day nationwide celebration in early June to mark her 70 years on the throne, she made two brief appearances only on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Born on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen after the death of her father, King George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952. She was formally crowned the monarch of the United Kingdom on June 2, 1953.■
