The Queen was placed under medical observation Thursday morning, according to Buckingham Palace, prompting fears as her family hurried to her side. The royal family later acknowledged the Queen's death in a brief statement the same day: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon." The King and Queen Consort will spend the evening in Balmoral before returning to London tomorrow."
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W
Now that the Queen has died, her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, is due to inherit the throne as king, with Duchess Camilla presumably by his side as queen consort, as the British sequence of succession to the royal monarchy requires. At the age of 73, Charles will be the oldest monarch to ever ascend to the throne.
The death of the Queen, the head (and most beloved member) of the British royal family, is keenly mourned. She was both the oldest and the longest-serving head of state in British history. Her demise comes after that of her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99.
Queen Elizabeth has been the victim of various death hoaxes throughout the years, including one in December 2019 that was unintentionally begun on WhatsApp. Unfortunately, the news was verified by officials today.
There has been no news on how her family is dealing with her death. Prince William and Kate Middleton have not yet issued a public comment and are mourning privately, as are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who are now in the UK with the family.