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.
After the announcement of the Queen's death, thousands of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace in London despite the rain to pay tribute. Local media said Britain will enter an official 10-day period of mourning beginning Friday. There has been an outpouring of condolences from politicians and governments following the Queen's passing.
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.
In total, the Queen greeted 15 prime ministers during her long reign, including Winston Churchill, her first, and Truss, her last.
Her husband, Prince Philip, died at the age of 99 in April 2021.
The Queen traveled to China in 1986, the first British monarch in history to do so.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
