Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom from 6 February 1952 until her death on 8 September 2022. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country.
The Queen oversaw huge political and cultural changes in the national life, from the end of the era of colonial rule to Brexit.
Her son automatically succeeds her as King Charles III, taking her place in ruling over the UK and more than a dozen Commonwealth nations, a role for which he has spent a lifetime in preparation.
Buckingham Palace announced that the official royal mourning period will last for seven days after the Queen’s funeral, the date of which has yet to be confirmed.
Statement from the King following the death of 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.
People are leaving flowers and personal tributes outside palaces and churches as the nation marks the death of Queen Elizabeth II
