Queen Elizabeth II Dies at 96, Charles Succeeds as King
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in the history of Britain, passed away at the age of 96.
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Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in the history of Britain, passed away on Thursday, 8 September, at the age of 96. This comes after reports of her worsened health earlier in the day. Price Charles, 73, will take over as the King of the United Kingdom.
"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 Royal family said.
Members of the Royal Family, including Princes Charles, Edward, Andrew, William and Camilla gathered at the Scottish castle after the Palace released a statement about her health.
The Queen was suffering from medical issues since October 2021.
'Moment of Great Sadness': New King Charles III
Charles, the new king, said that the "death of his beloved mother" 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," he said in a statement.
"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," he added.
Further, newly appointed UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, while condoling her death, said that "we are all devastated" at the news, which is a "huge shock to the nation and the world".
She described the Queen as "a rock on which modern Britain was built", adding: "Britain is the great country it is today because of her."
She mentioned the Queen was a personal inspiration to her as well as many Britons.
"Her devotion to duty is an example to us all," she added.
On Wednesday, the Queen had to pull out of a scheduled meeting with senior political advisers after her doctors asked her to rest. Just two days ago on Tuesday, she had officially appointed Liz Truss as the UK PM, following the resignation of Boris Johnson.
(With inputs from AFP.)
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