Queen Elizabeth II’s death live updates: Britain mourns longest-serving monarch

12m ago / 7:54 PM UTC

BBC special coverage now nearing its 10th hour

The U.K.’s public broadcaster, the BBC, has been live on air with wall-to-wall coverage since the announcement from Buckingham Palace that doctors were concerned about the queen’s health.

Its evening newscasts that followed the news of her death were not accompanied by the usual jingles, but were filled with commentary from somber royal experts, as well as current and former politicians.

Anchors have all worn black, and have offered viewers frequent notices to ensure that no one just tuning in misses the news.

16m ago / 7:50 PM UTC

Pope Francis sends condolences to Britain’s new king

Pope Francis praised the queen and shared his condolences with her family in a message he sent to the new king, Charles III.

“I willingly join all who mourn her loss in praying for the late Queen’s eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in his promises,” said Francis, who added that he would pray for Charles as he took up his “high responsibilities as King.”

The queen met with four popes during her reign of 70 years, according to the Catholic News Agency, most recently with Pope Francis in 2014. She also met Pope Pius XII in 1951 before taking the throne.

30m ago / 7:36 PM UTC

Former presidents pay tribute to queen

Former U.S. presidents — from Jimmy Carter to Donald Trump — offered their condolences Thursday.

“Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform. “Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor.”

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama said the queen’s reign was “defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic, defying the odds and expectations placed on women of her generation.”

“Throughout her remarkable 70-year reign, she led Britain through great transformations with unfailing grace, dignity, and genuine care for the welfare of all its people,” former President Bill Clinton said in a statement. “In sunshine or storm, she was a source of stability, serenity, and strength.”

32m ago / 7:33 PM UTC

U.K.’s soccer players and fans pay their respects

A large crowd joined players for a moment of silence honoring Queen Elizabeth II before Manchester United’s Europa League contest against Spanish side Real Sociedad at Old Trafford on Thursday.

As players wearing black armbands gathered around the center circle for the tribute, cameras panned to solemn supporters in the stands, many with their eyes closed or heads bowed.

“The club recognises her immense contribution to public life, including sport, both here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world,” the English soccer giants said in a statement.

Arsenal, long rumored to be the queen’s favorite team, was already playing in the competition when the news emerged from Balmoral. “Along with many of our supporters today, we will be taking time to mourn and reflect on Her Majesty’s incredible life and devoted service,” the club said in a statement.

Oli Scarff / AFP via Getty Images

 

37m ago / 7:29 PM UTC

Prince Harry arrives at Balmoral

Prince Harry, the queen’s grandson, has now arrived at Balmoral to join the rest of his family in grieving.

Harry’s elder brother, Prince William, who became the next in line to the British throne after the queen’s death, arrived at Balmoral shortly before his grandmother’s death. Harry arrived shortly after 8 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET) after making his own way up to Scotland from London, the BBC reported.

His wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, did not travel with him, a spokesperson said earlier Thursday.

42m ago / 7:24 PM UTC

King Charles III to make televised address Friday

The king is expected to make a televised address Friday, his spokesperson has confirmed.

It will be the first time the nation will hear from its new monarch since Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

45m ago / 7:21 PM UTC

Britons feel ‘personal loss’ after queen’s death, royal commentator says

48m ago / 7:18 PM UTC

Former British PM Theresa May mourns the queen’s death

Former British leader Theresa May has paid tribute to the queen, saying she “devoted herself unreservedly to a life of service.”

“It was the honour of my life to serve her as Prime Minister,” May said in a statement. “But we should never forget that our Queen was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Our thoughts and prayers now are with her family.”

“God Save the King,” she added.

50m ago / 7:16 PM UTC

Huge crowd gathers at Buckingham Palace

LONDON — Some were hugging and crying, others sang the national anthem, all of the crowd of thousands gathered outside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects.

“I can’t believe it. What can I say? She was an amazing monarch. She was our queen,” a tearful Michelle Kennedy told NBC News. “We will never see the likes of her again,” the 52-year-old mental health worker added.

David Taylor, 57, said that it was “the end of an era,” adding that the monarch had “been a rock for so many people.”

“She’s been here for our entire lives,” he said. “It’s going to take some getting used to.”

Leon Neal / Getty Images Yui Mok – PA Images / PA Images via Getty Images

55m ago / 7:11 PM UTC

Former British PM Tony Blair mourns ‘matriarch of our nation’

Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, has remembered the queen as “warm, gracious, humorous and spirited” and “an enduring presence of strength and stability.”

“She was not only respected but loved,” Blair said in a statement. “We will mourn her. We will miss her. But our overwhelming sentiment will be of gratitude, profound, heartfelt and sincere thanks for what she did, what she stood for, for the life she lived and for what she gave us, her grateful subjects,” he added.

“Her reign was indeed glorious. And it was our great good fortune to have had her reign over us,” he said. “We have lost not just our monarch but the matriarch of our nation.”

Read the full statement here.

58m ago / 7:08 PM UTC

Zelenskyy: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with you’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered his condolences to the U.K., saying, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”

“It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Zelenskyy wrote, as his own country grapples with the devastation of Russia’s war.

“On behalf of the people, we extend sincere condolences to the @RoyalFamily, the entire United Kingdom and the Commonwealth over this irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you,” he wrote in a tweet.

1h ago / 7:02 PM UTC

Britain’s new king releases a statement

In his first statement as king, Charles marked the death of his “beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen” as a “moment of the greatest sadness” for his family and the world.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother,” Charles said.

“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” he said. “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.”

1h ago / 6:58 PM UTC

Leaders in France mourn queen and plan to darken Eiffel Tower

French President Emmanuel Macron praised the queen, a fluent French speaker, as a “friend of France” on Twitter in the moments after her death.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also mourned the monarch after her death and said the lights on the Eiffel Tower would be turned off tonight in tribute.

1h ago / 6:57 PM UTC

From Truman to Biden, Queen Elizabeth was beloved among U.S. presidents

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, met with 13 sitting U.S. presidents during her lifetime, kindling a string of cordial relationships that helped strengthen the ties between the two nations. She died Thursday at age 96.

Harry Truman said she “captured the hearts” of the American public, while Barack Obama called her “truly one of my favorite people.”

Lyndon Johnson is the only one among the last 14 presidents whom she didn’t meet.

Here’s a look at the late queen’s history with U.S. presidents — including a few diplomatic faux pas.

Read the full story here.

1h ago / 6:57 PM UTC

‘Our country’s saddest day,’ former PM Boris Johnson says

Boris Johnson, who left office as British prime minister earlier this week, said the queen’s death has left an “ache” in everyone’s hearts and a “deep and personal sense of loss” that is “far more intense, perhaps, than we expected.”

“This is our country’s saddest day,” he said in a statement Thursday. “In these first grim moments since the news, I know that millions and millions of people have been pausing whatever they have been doing, to think about Queen Elizabeth, about the bright and shining light that has finally gone out,” Johnson said.

“She seemed so timeless and so wonderful that I am afraid we had come to believe, like children, that she would just go on and on,” he said.

1h ago / 6:50 PM UTC

Britain’s new monarch will be known as King Charles III

Britain’s new monarch is to be officially known as King Charles III, a spokesperson has confirmed.

His official name upon the death of the queen was unknown until now and was not expected to be announced so soon.

1h ago / 6:44 PM UTC

Biden calls Queen Elizabeth II ‘a stateswoman of unmatched dignity’

President Joe Biden mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, calling her “a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States.”

In a statement, Biden and the first lady wrote that “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era.”

1h ago / 6:42 PM UTC

Irish leader hails queen’s support for ‘positive relations’

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the head of the Irish government, said Queen Elizabeth II’s “support for the Good Friday Agreement, reconciliation and mutual understanding was critical to advancing positive relations on these islands.”

“I hope that in this time of mourning the British people and her family can draw comfort and be proud of the enormous contribution, which her majesty made in fostering and strengthening the British-Irish relationship,” he said, later fondly recalling her May 2011 visit to Ireland in his remarks.

The Good Friday Agreement helped bring to a close decades of political violence in Northern Ireland, often referred to as The Troubles.

1h ago / 6:38 PM UTC

New British Prime Minister Truss says country is ‘devastated’

Liz Truss, who only became British prime minister Tuesday, has said the queen was “the rock on which our country was built.”

In a speech outside No. 10 Downing St. shortly after the news broke, Truss said that everyone was “devastated” at the news, which was a “huge shock to the nation and the world.”

“Britain is the great country it is today because of her,” Truss added. “Her devotion to duty is an example to us all.”

“Today the Crown passes, as it has done for more than 1,000 years, to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III,” she said. Britain would “offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to us for so long,” the prime minister said, ending the statement by saying, “God save the king.”

2h ago / 6:32 PM UTC

The American flag is lowered to half-staff over the U.S. Capitol Jacquelyn Martin / AP

2h ago / 6:32 PM UTC

‘Profoundly sad moment’: First minister of Scotland reflects on queen’s death

Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, where Queen Elizabeth II died this afternoon, said the monarch’s death is a “profoundly sad moment” for the nation, the Commonwealth and the world.

“On behalf of the people of Scotland, I convey my deepest condolences to The King and the Royal Family,” Sturgeon said in a tweet.

2h ago / 6:27 PM UTC

Queen’s death comes at challenging economic and political moment

Queen Elizabeth II’s death comes at a precarious moment for the United Kingdom, both politically and economically. 

The queen died mere days after officially appointing the country’s latest prime minister, Liz Truss, a Conservative. The news of the queen’s poor health interrupted the British Parliament as it debated the government’s plans to combat spiraling energy bills amid a growing cost-of-living crisis.

2h ago / 6:22 PM UTC

Prince William becomes heir to British throne

Prince William became the next in line to the British throne following Queen Elizabeth II’s death Thursday. The new king is Charles, the queen’s eldest son.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday afternoon, Charles said the death was “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”

The Duke of Cambridge has not yet made a public statement on his grandmother’s death. He is married to Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

2h ago / 6:20 PM UTC

Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II’s death posted at Balmoral Castle

2h ago / 6:15 PM UTC

Canadian PM expresses condolences

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of the first world leaders to reflect on the queen’s death.

“It was with the heaviest of hearts that we learned of the passing of Canada’s longest-reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Trudeau wrote in a tweet. “She was a constant presence in our lives — and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history.”

2h ago / 6:14 PM UTC

Biden briefed on the death of the queen

President Joe Biden was informed of the death of Queen Elizabeth II by senior advisers Kate Bedingfield, Mike Donilon and Ron Klain during a meeting in the Oval Office.

A White House official said British Prime Minister Liz Truss had abruptly left a video conference with Biden and other allies earlier Thursday, an indication that the queen had died.

The president canceled a speech on Covid vaccinations Thursday afternoon following the news.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who learned of the queen’s death during her daily press briefing, said, “Our hearts go to the people of the United Kingdom, to the queen and to her family.” 

2h ago / 6:11 PM UTC

Royal website goes dark following death of Queen Elizabeth II

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the official royal website has gone dark.

The site currently has a black background with a photo of the late monarch and the palace’s official statement under the image.

“The official website of the Royal Family is temporarily unavailable while appropriate changes are made,” the website said.

2h ago / 6:04 PM UTC

The Union Flag flies at half-staff above Buckingham Palace Yui Mok / PA Images via Getty Images

2h ago / 6:02 PM UTC

Queen Elizabeth II died ‘peacefully,’ royal family says

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the royal family said in a statement announcing the news at 6:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET).

“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” the statement read, referring to Elizabeth’s son Charles and his wife, Camilla.

2h ago / 5:47 PM UTC

Charles becomes king

Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, is now king of the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth Realms.

Charles, 73, is the eldest of four children born to the queen and her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last year.

Charles immediately became king upon Elizabeth’s death.

2h ago / 5:43 PM UTC

Watch: Queen Elizabeth II’s life through the years

2h ago / 5:38 PM UTC

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, dies at 96

Queen Elizabeth II — whose 70-year reign spanned wars, a pandemic, 14 U.S. presidents and the winding down of Britain’s vast empire — has died.

The longest-serving British monarch was 96.

Her eldest son, Charles, is now king of the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth Realms.

Read the full story here.

3h ago / 5:29 PM UTC

World leaders share messages of support

In addition to President Joe Biden, leaders from around the world are sharing messages of support for the queen.

“My thoughts, and the thoughts of Canadians across the country, are with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at this time,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet. “We’re wishing her well, and sending our best to the Royal Family.”

The queen is Canada’s head of state, as she is for the other 14 Commonwealth realms.

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said during a news conference that her prayers were with the queen.

“She represents the whole history of the Europe that is our common home with our British friends,” von der Leyen said, according to The Associated Press. “She has given to all of us in all these years, always, stability, confidence. She’s shown an immense amount of courage. She is a legend in my eyes, and therefore my prayers are with her.”

3h ago / 5:20 PM UTC

Video shows senior royals arriving in Scotland after flying to join family

3h ago / 5:09 PM UTC

The queen posed for a relaxed photo at Balmoral on Tuesday

Before she officially invited Liz Truss to become the 15th prime minister of her reign Tuesday, the queen posed for this portrait.

Taken in the drawing room at Balmoral Castle, the photo offers a glimpse into the home life of the monarch at her Scottish summer home.

Jane Barlow / AP

3h ago / 4:48 PM UTC

Senior royals arrive at Balmoral as family gathers

Nearly all members of the queen’s immediate family who were not already at Balmoral Castle in Scotland have now arrived.

Prince William drove a Range Rover carrying the queen’s sons Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.

The group arrived shortly after 5 p.m. local time (noon ET), having flown to Scotland.

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

3h ago / 4:46 PM UTC

Harry will travel to Scotland without Meghan, spokesperson says Meghan and Prince Harry leave a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in London in June.Matt Dunham / AP Pool

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will not travel to Scotland to see the queen with her husband, Prince Harry, her spokesperson said Thursday afternoon.

Harry’s elder brother, Prince William, arrived at Balmoral Castle with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward after 5 p.m. local time (noon ET).

4h ago / 4:22 PM UTC

Why Balmoral is so important to the royal family Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is traditionally the summer residence of the royal family. Masci Giuseppe / UIG via Getty Images

Nestled in the Scottish countryside, Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the royal family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by her husband, Prince Albert, in 1852. 

Queen Elizabeth II has been going to the estate since she was a child and has regularly spent her summer vacations on the property, which covers an area of around 50,000 acres. 

At its heart is a large palace with prominent turrets and a clock tower, but the estate also features scores of other buildings, including cottages that the public can rent at various times of the year and use as a base to explore mountains, forests and the rugged countryside in the region.

Prince Charles honeymooned there with Diana, the Princess of Wales, while his sons revealed in the documentary “Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy” that it was the place where they last spoke to their mother.

4h ago / 4:21 PM UTC

Biden briefed on the queen

President Joe Biden was briefed Thursday morning on the condition of the queen, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Kirby told reporters that Biden will be “updated throughout the day” and said the president’s thoughts were “solidly and squarely with the queen and her family.”

During a video call Thursday with allies to discuss the situation in Ukraine, Biden told British Prime Minister Liz Truss that he and the first lady were thinking “very much” about the queen and the people of the United Kingdom, Kirby said.

4h ago / 4:21 PM UTC

BBC News breaks into main programming with anchor dressed in black

BBC News broke into a Thursday afternoon episode of “Bargain Hunt” on BBC One with the news that Queen Elizabeth II was under medical supervision.

The screen turned black almost 20 minutes before the afternoon news was set to start at 1 p.m. GMT. Anchor Joanna Gosling then appeared on-screen to announce the news about the queen’s status, sharing that “doctors have become concerned for her health, and she is now under the supervision of doctors. It is understood she is comfortable and immediate family members have been informed.”

Longtime anchor Huw Edwards appeared on-screen in a black suit, white shirt and black tie, which did not go unnoticed online. His outfit followed the BBC’s dress code when a royal family member dies.

BBC One is expected to continue with royal coverage at least until the 6 p.m. news.

4h ago / 4:08 PM UTC

Queen appointed new British PM at Balmoral, breaking with tradition

The queen formally appointed Liz Truss as the new British leader Tuesday at Balmoral, the first time in her 70-year reign that she has performed the ceremonial royal duty anywhere but at Buckingham Palace in London.

Truss, who won the race to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the ruling Conservative Party, is the 15th prime minister during the monarch’s reign.

The ceremony, known as “kissing hands,” was moved to Scotland to provide certainty about the schedule because of the 96-year-old queen’s mobility problems.

Jane Barlow / WPA Pool via AFP – Getty Images

4h ago / 4:08 PM UTC

Messages of support from U.K. political, religious leaders

British leaders continue to send messages of support for Queen Elizabeth II following the news that the monarch is under medical supervision, with members of the royal family gathering by her side.

“The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace,” Liz Truss, who was appointed Britain’s prime minister by the queen just days ago, tweeted.

“Along with the rest of the country, I am deeply worried by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon,” Keir Starmer, leader of the U.K.’s main opposition Labour Party, said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Church of England, offered prayers for Elizabeth. “My prayers, and the prayers of people across the @churchofengland and the nation, are with Her Majesty The Queen today,” Justin Welby, the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, tweeted.

4h ago / 4:06 PM UTC

Who is the personal doctor to the queen?

The queen’s personal doctor is Huw Thomas, whose official title is head of the medical household and physician to the queen.

Thomas was given his role in 2014, the Press Association news agency reported, and received a knighthood last year in what was seen as a personal thank-you for his care to the royal family. He was also part of the team that cared for the Duchess of Cambridge during her pregnancy and the birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018.

Thomas is also professor of gastrointestinal genetics at Imperial College London, a title he has held since 2007.

Speaking after being awarded the knighthood, he said: “It’s a very enjoyable and rewarding role — completely different from what I would normally be doing.

“The nature of the work is interesting because you see how a whole different organisation, the Royal Household, operates.”

4h ago / 3:54 PM UTC

Moody skies over London as the U.K. awaits news of the queen Frank Augstein / AP

4h ago / 3:45 PM UTC

Queen’s health fears come after several recent medical issues

Fears for the health of 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth II come after a number of recent health issues, including her testing positive for Covid and having to avoid a number of engagements after doctors advised her to rest.

In October 2021, the queen spent the night at a hospital for “preliminary investigations,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed at the time. She later returned to her Windsor Castle home and was “in good spirits,” they said. Doctors advised her to cancel most engagements in the following weeks.

In February, she tested positive for the coronavirus and experienced mild cold-like symptoms.

It was only in late March that the monarch made her first public appearance in five months, when the royal family and other dignitaries gathered for a memorial service in honor of her husband, Prince Philip, who died last year at age 99.

4h ago / 3:40 PM UTC

Onlookers gather outside Balmoral on Thursday Andrew Milligan / PA via Getty Images

4h ago / 3:38 PM UTC

Royal expert explains succession in the British monarchy

5h ago / 3:27 PM UTC

Prince Harry and Meghan head to Balmoral

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, are traveling to Scotland alongside the rest of the royal family, a spokesperson for the couple said.

They were already in Europe, attending a number of events in England and one in Germany. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also returned to the United Kingdom in June from their home in the United States for the queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

5h ago / 3:25 PM UTC

Prince Charles, heir to the throne, is by queen’s side

Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, have traveled to Balmoral, his Clarence House office said Thursday.

Charles has increasingly taken on some of the monarch’s ceremonial duties in recent months, standing in for her at the State Opening of Parliament and taking the salute from parading military members at the Horse Guards Parade during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.

5h ago / 3:24 PM UTC

Changing of the guard ceremony canceled at Buckingham Palace Leon Neal / Getty Images

5h ago / 3:16 PM UTC

NBC News correspondent Keir Simmons reports from Buckingham Palace Leon Neal / Getty Images

5h ago / 3:12 PM UTC

Members of the royal family touch down at Aberdeen Airport

A flight carrying seven members of the royal family has landed at Aberdeen Airport in Scotland.

Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, touched down shortly before 4 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET).

After hopping out of a small jet, they got into vehicles on the tarmac that will take them up to Balmoral, around 45 miles west of the Scottish city.

5h ago / 3:05 PM UTC

Worried people begin to gather outside Buckingham Palace Leon Neal / Getty Images

5h ago / 2:57 PM UTC

Queen under medical supervision as doctors are ‘concerned for her health’

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II was placed under medical supervision Thursday after doctors became concerned for the 96-year-old monarch’s 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,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

It added that the nation’s much-loved figurehead “remained comfortable” at Balmoral, the castle in Scotland where she spends her summers.