Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, had died at the age of 96, glamsquad reports
“The Queen died peacefully this afternoon at Balmoral,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
“The King and Queen Consort will spend the evening at Balmoral before returning to London tomorrow.”
Her eldest son, Charles, 73, will be crowned King of the United Kingdom and King of 14 other realms, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
After doctors expressed concern about her health, her family rushed to her Scottish home, Balmoral Castle. She had been suffering from “episodic mobility problems” since the end of last year, forcing her to cancel nearly all of her public engagements, according to Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II, the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, ascended to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952, when she was only 25 years old.