Queen Elizabeth II dies at the age of 96, surrounded by her family at the Balmoral estate.
Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled the United Kingdom for seven decades, died at the age of 96, the longest reign of any British queen.
According to the royal family, the queen "died peacefully" Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, her home in the Scottish Highlands. Her son, Charles, was by her side.
The queen was placed under medical monitoring on Thursday, according to officials. "Following further exams this morning, the queen's physicians are worried about the status of Her Majesty's health and have requested that she be kept under medical observation," a statement from the palace stated.
Members of the royal family, including her grandchildren Prince William and Prince Harry, who were already in the country for a charity event, were said to have traveled to Balmoral to help her.
The queen has taken on less public obligations in recent years, occasionally canceling visits where her presence was traditionally expected. She has suffered mobility issues in recent months and has spent most of her time at Windsor Castle, the family's rural home outside London, and at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
She became unwell with COVID -19 in February, which she subsequently characterized as "extremely fatigued and drained."
Elizabeth appeared for her Platinum Jubilee, marking her 70th year on the Queen, in June, and viewed the parade from a balcony at Buckingham Palace. She did, however, miss the most of the other events. She also visited with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss in Balmoral on Tuesday, a first in her reign.
Elizabeth II arrived to the throne on February 6, 1952, and presided over a historic era of British history, including the decolonization and independence of more than 20 nations that were previously part of the British Empire, throughout her 70-year reign.
Charles, 73, is now King of the United Kingdom.
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.jpg "Queen Elizabeth II dies at the age of 96, surrounded by her family at the Balmoral estate.")
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