Queen Elizabeth Has Passed Away at 96

Queen Elizabeth has passed away at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

In a statement, the Palace noted: "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 Queen was the longest-serving monarch in British history, sitting on the throne for seven decades. She ascended to the throne in 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI, while she was traveling in Kenya. She was just 25 at the time. In 2022, she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, which marked 70 years on the throne.

In her last days as monarch, she oversaw the transition of power between Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, who became the U.K.'s new Prime Minister after being formally asked by the Queen on Tuesday to form a government in her name, as is tradition. Truss was the 15th prime minister to serve under the Queen.

In the hours prior to the announcement, the Queen's family—including her four children: Prince Charles, her heir; Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward—rushed to Balmoral. The Queen's husband, Prince Philip, passed away in April of 2021 at the age of 99—just 18 months before the death of his wife of a half-century.