Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96, after reigning for 70 years

Queen Elizabeth II, who was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, passed away on Thursday after 70 years on the throne. She was 96 years old.

The palace announced she died at Balmoral Castle, which was her summer residence in Scotland.

During the Prime Minister’s Questions, both parties passed notes and the leaders of both parties, Liz Truss of the Conservative Party and Keir Starmer of the Labour Partywere seen looking glum after reading the note. Truss was the last Prime Minister to serve under Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill was the first.

Truss, who was formally appointed as Prime Minister by the queen only 48 hours earlier, said she was “devastated” and called Elizabeth “the rock on which modern Britain was built.”

U.S. President Joe Biden referred to her as a “stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States.”

The Queen’s son King Charles III was immediately sworn in as the new King and released a statement from Balmoral, where he went with his wife, Camilla, the nation’s new Queen Consort.

“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,” he said in a statement. “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 new King will spend the first night of his reign at Balmoral before going back to London with his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, on Friday, when he is set to address the country. No coronation date has been set for Charles.

The British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) played the UK national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” over a portrait of Elizabeth in full regalia as her death was announced. The Union Jack flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast.