Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96.
She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, serving as U.K.’s queen since 1952.
Buckingham Palace announced Thursday morning that the Queen was placed under medical supervision amid concerns as her family rushed to her side.
The royal family later confirmed the Queen died that same day in a brief statement: “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.”
Now that the Queen has passed, her eldest son and heir Prince Charles is set to take the throne as King with Duchess Camilla likely by his side as Queen Consort, as mandated by the British order of succession to the royal throne. Charles will be the oldest royal to ever take the throne at age 73.
The Queen was the head (and most popular member) of the British royal family, and her death is deeply felt. She was both the oldest and longest-serving head of state in the history of the United Kingdom.
Her death follows that of her late husband Prince Philip, who passed away in April 2021 at age 99.
Over the years, Queen Elizabeth was the subject of numerous death hoaxes, including one in December 2019 that was accidentally started on WhatsApp. Unfortunately though, the news today has been confirmed by officials.
There has been no direct word yet on how her family is coping with her loss. Prince William and Kate Middleton have not yet released a statement to the public and are grieving privately, as are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who are in the U.K. with the family right now.
