Queen Elizabeth II of the UK had died aged 96, at her summer residence in Scotland. The longest serving monarch of recent times was placed under medical supervision by her doctors on Thursday morning and members of the Royal Family were flown to Balmoral to be by her side and her death was announced just after 1730GMT.

Buckingham Palace posted a short statement confirming the news.

"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 statement read.

Her son Charles will assume the throne as King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, along with his wife Camilla as Queen Consort. Clarence House, responsible for his statements while Prince of Wales, confirmed he will be known as King Charles III.

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Charles, who had been staying at Balmoral with his mother,  said, "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," the statement continued.

"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."

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss paid tribute to Elizabeth II from the steps of Downing Street saying, "Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her."

"Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed. She was the very spirit of Great Britain – and that spirit will endure," Truss said.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed those thoughts  Germany mourns her passing, "she will be missed, not least her wonderful humor."

The Queen was the Head of State in Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed, "The Queen was one of my most favorite people and I will miss her so."

Earlier in the day the palace confirmed the Queen's health was deteriorating, less than 24 hours after she withdrew from a Privy Council meeting, a body of advisors on government issues, for health reasons.

Her reign spanned seven decades in which she met with 16 different prime ministers and countless world leaders including China's Xi Jinping and the recently elected U.S. President Joe Biden.