Queen Elizabeth II has died, aged 96

Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday afternoon, the 8th of September that her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II had died, aged 96, at her Scottish estate in Balmoral.

The Queen, who had come to the throne in 1952, is the UK’s longest serving monarch after reigning for 70 years. The Queen’s eldest son and former Prince of Wales, Charles has now become King of the United Kingdom and 14 commonwealth realms.

King Charles had released a statement following her death which 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.

"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.”

Her children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward travelled to Balmore on Thursday evening to be with her before her death was announced.

Prime Minister, Liz Trust, made a statement and said “The Queen is the rock in which Modern Britain was built. 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.

"And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words 'God save the King'."

The Queen’s funeral is expected to be on Monday the 19th of September at 11am and will be attended by family members, politicians, world leaders and monarchs from other countries who have worked with the Queen for many years. All will be there to pay their last respects to her Majesty.

On 21st of April 1926, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London as the eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, who later became King George VI, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

In 1947, in a radio address on her 21st birthday, she said: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."

Princess Elizabeth became Queen in 1952 at the age of 25, when her father, King George VI, died and her coronation was more than a year later at Westminster Abbey. In 1947, she married her wartime sweetheart, Prince Phillip and the couple had four children.

As she was on the throne for seven decades, The Queen's reign saw 15 different prime ministers, from Sir Winston Churchill to Liz Truss.