Prince Charles will take over as the King, in the absence of his mother.
Queen Elizabeth II, the second-longest reigning monarch dies at 96.
The Buckingham palace released an official 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."
A statement from Buckingham Palace, released earlier on September 8, 2022, stated that the Queen's doctors were concerned about her health. "Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral," the full statement read. She had been battling several health issues since October 2021.
A while after the statement was released, several news outlets reported that immediate family members of the Queen were making their way to Balmoral Castle.
According to the BBC, the latest updates at the time revealed that Prince Charles and Camilla had already reached the castle, while Prince William and Kate Middleton are on their way to Scotland, as are Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also making their way to Balmoral, to be with the Queen, a spokesperson for the couple revealed. Prince Harry and Meghan, who have been staying at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor during a brief European tour “will be traveling to Scotland”, their spokeswoman confirmed, according to Telegraph.
Liz Truss, UK's newest Prime Minister, took to Twitter to express her concerns over the Queen's health. "The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime. My thoughts - and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom - are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time," she wrote.
A force to be reckoned with, Princess Elizabeth became the Queen after her father, King George VI's, passing. On June 2, 1953, when she was just 26 years old, her official coronation took place, according to Royal.uk, making her the Queen.
BREAKING: Queen Elizabeth II, longest reigning British monarch, dead at 96 https://t.co/IbYxUy0Y5C pic.twitter.com/3Iru7YFcAB
— New York Post (@nypost) September 8, 2022
Just like Elizabeth took over for her father, Prince Charles will be crowned King in the absence of his mom. Per the Reader's Digest, an “Accession Council,” consisting of the group of advisors to the monarch, known as the Privy Council, will assemble at St. James’s Palace in London to formally recognize the transition and declare Charles as the monarch.
An official date for Prince Charles' coronation will soon be announced.
References:
https://www.royal.uk/statement-buckingham-palace
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-62834633
https://www.royal.uk/50-facts-about-queens-coronation-0
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Sean Gallup
