“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.”

Thursday afternoon at 1:30pm ET (6:30pm CET), Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral castle in Scotland, as announced by the Royal family. At age 96, she was the longest serving monarch to the United Kingdom, with 70 years on the throne. Concerns for the Queen’s health became public earlier in the morning, as she was officially placed under medical supervision in Scotland. News poured in as doctors were “concerned about her health.” A small crowd surrounding Buckingham Palace broke into “God Save The Queen” as BBC’s live broadcast conveyed the solemn news. Just over a year after her beloved husband, Philip, passed, scenes of the Royal family flooding into Balmoral grounds were worrying and familiar.

Her Majesty Elizabeth II will be succeeded by her son, Charles, who will assume the name of King Charles III. He is set to deliver an address to the British people on Friday, though his early statement was directed towards his “beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen.”

“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms, and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

– His Majesty King Charles III

Liz Truss, the newly appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was sworn in by the Queen just several days ago, being one of the last people to meet with her. Truss spoke at 10 Downing Street, claiming the Queen was the “Rock on which modern Britain was built.” “Our country has grown and flourished under her reign,” she stated, later offering King Charles her ultimate support. “We must come together as a people and support [King Charles].” 

The end of the second Elizabethan era has come, and now comes a new one; for Britain, for Europe, and for the world.