Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, passes away at 96

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, has died after reigning for 70 years. She was 96. Elizabeth breathed her last at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, one of her four royal residences. Her family from near and afar had gathered there to be at her side in her final moments.

"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on Thursday. "The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," the statement said.

Prince Charles succeeds as king

With her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms, the BBC reported.

In 2015, Queen Elizabeth became the longest-serving British monarch, surpassing her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria. This year, she became the world's second longest reigning monarch.

She was just 25 when she became Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 1952, on the death of her father, while she was on tour in Kenya with Prince Philip. She was crowned monarch on June 2, 1953.

Her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died in April 2021, just weeks short of his 100th birthday.

PM Modi expresses grief 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the demise of Queen Elizabeth II.

I had memorable meetings with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during my UK visits in 2015 and 2018. I will never forget her warmth and kindness. During one of the meetings she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture. pic.twitter.com/3aACbxhLgC

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 8, 2022

"She will be remembered as a stalwart of our times. She provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people. She personified dignity and decency in public life," he tweeted.

With PTI Inputs