King Charles III arrives at Buckingham Palace as monarch for the first time

3m ago / 3:31 PM UTC

Mourners, and corgis, pay respects outside Buckingham Palace A corgi outside Buckingham Palace in London on Friday. Susannah Ireland for NBC News

9m ago / 3:25 PM UTC

After queen’s burial, late husband will be moved to be by her side

After Queen Elizabeth II is buried, her late husband of 73 years will be transferred from the spot where he has been temporarily interred for nearly a year and a half so he can be laid to rest by her side.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, arrive by carriage at the Royal Ascot Races on June 21, 2007, in Ascot, England.Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images file

When Prince Philip died in April 2021 at age 99, his coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault beneath St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The vault was created in the early 1800s for George III, who is one of several kings buried there, among other royals, according to the Telegraph.

Philip’s final resting place was always meant to be next to his bride. The queen will be buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor and the Duke of Edinburgh will be transferred to be alongside her.

Queen Elizabeth II looks at the coffin of Britain’s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, during his funeral service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021.Jonathan Brady / Pool via AFP – Getty Images file

Also inside the chapel are the remains of the queen’s father and the chapel’s namesake, George VI; her mother; and her sister, Princess Margaret, the Telegraph reported.

18m ago / 3:16 PM UTC

Scenes outside Buckingham Palace Crowds of mourners hold up phones as King Charles III and Camilla arrive outside Buckingham Palace in London on Friday. Susannah Ireland for NBC News

21m ago / 3:13 PM UTC

U.S. ambassador to the U.K. pays tribute to the queen

The U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom offered her condolences to the royal family, honoring Queen Elizabeth II’s dedication to public service.

“There has been no greater steward of the alliance of friendship and cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom than Queen Elizabeth,” Ambassador Jane Hartley said in a statement.

“We grieve with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth,” she said, adding that the U.S. will honor Elizabeth’s memory through its continued partnership with the U.K. and a “renewed commitment to our most Special Relationship.”

40m ago / 2:54 PM UTC

A kiss on the hand for King Charles III A well-wisher kisses the hand of Britain’s King Charles III as he walks outside Buckingham Palace in London on Friday. Yui Mok / AP

46m ago / 2:48 PM UTC

Xi Jinping sends ‘deep condolences’ to Britain’s royal family

Chinese President Xi Jinping has released a statement extending his “sincere sympathy” to the “British royal family, government and people,” following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

“I attach great importance to the development of China-UK relations and stand ready to work with King Charles III,” he added, noting that Elizabeth was the first British monarch to visit China.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also sent a note of condolence to British Prime Minister Liz Truss, expressing his condolences to both the royal family and the U.K. government.

57m ago / 2:38 PM UTC

‘It’s not sunken in’ — mourners describe meeting the new king

Crowds of people gathered at Buckingham Palace on Friday to catch a glimpse of the new king — and some even managed to meet him.

Julie Masters, 57, from Sussex in southern England, says she was the first person to shake the hand of the new king. She had been waiting with hundreds of others, pressed up against the police barriers.

“It’s not really sunken in,” she said.

Margaret Walker, from Wokingham, 40 miles west of London, is 95 years old, just one year younger than the queen. She said: “Charles and Camilla shook my hand and I shan’t wash them again!”

Read more about the scene at the palace here.

1h ago / 2:30 PM UTC

King Charles III’s address to be broadcast at 6 p.m. local time

King Charles III’s inaugural address to the nation will be broadcast at 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) Friday, according to Buckingham Palace.

The message was prerecorded in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace earlier Friday afternoon. 

An official photograph of the king was taken during the recording, Buckingham Palace added. The photo will be shared after the address.

While Charles technically became king the moment his mother died, he will not be formally proclaimed the new monarch until a historic ceremony that will take place Saturday morning.

1h ago / 2:27 PM UTC

Gun salutes fired in tribute to the queen

Gun salutes took place at 1:00 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) across the U.K. in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. One round was fired for each of the 96 years of her life.

The gun salutes took place in London’s Hyde Park, at the Tower of London and also on Royal Navy ships at sea, according to the Ministry of Defense.

1h ago / 2:22 PM UTC

Flags at NATO lowered to half-staff

All flags at the NATO headquarters building in Brussels have been lowered to half-staff to commemorate the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Over more than 70 years, she exemplified selfless leadership and public service,” the organization’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said in a tweet, adding that he was sending his “deepest condolences” to NATO allies Britain and Canada, and the rest of the Commonwealth.

The United Kingdom was a founder member of NATO at its inception in 1949. The queen was crowned three years later.

1h ago / 2:07 PM UTC

Photo shows King Charles III waving to crowds at Buckingham Palace Daniel Leal / AFP – Getty Images

2h ago / 1:43 PM UTC

U.S. ambassador to the U.K. reflects on the queen’s public service

Jane Hartley, the American ambassador to the U.K., commended the queen’s commitment to service during an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC’s “TODAY” show.

“I think she contributed a sense of dignity, a sense of commitment, a commitment to democracy, freedom, humanitarian concerns,” Hartley said.

“I must say when I met her, I was so taken personally by not only how substantive she was, because she cared deeply about policy and she cared deeply about what was happening in the world, but her sense of warmth and her sense of caring just came through immediately.”

2h ago / 1:34 PM UTC

King Charles III greets crowds after arriving at Buckingham Palace

Britain’s new king arrived at his new official residence for the first time as monarch just after 2 p.m. Friday local time (9 a.m. ET), having traveled from Scotland where he was beside his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as she died Thursday.

Dressed in a black suit with a black tie, Charles greeted a large crowd of well-wishers of all ages outside Buckingham Palace, shook hands and acknowledged the enthusiastic cheers and cries of “God save the king!”

3h ago / 12:55 PM UTC

King Charles III arrives in London to begin his reign

The new monarch, Charles III, arrived in West London on Friday afternoon. He faces a packed schedule of events to commemorate his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and he was accompanied by Camilla, the Queen consort.

His plane touched down at RAF Northolt in West London just after 1:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. ET) before he entered his official car to make the 30-minute journey to London.

King Charles arrives at RAF Northolt in London from Balmoral, where his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died Thursday afternoon.Ben Cawthra / Sipa USA via AP

3h ago / 12:37 PM UTC

Premier League games put off as a ‘mark of respect’ to the queen

LONDON — The Premier League has postponed its upcoming round of matches as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, adding to the cancellation of high-profile golf, cricket and horse racing events across Britain on Friday.

England’s top-flight soccer clubs held a meeting Friday and said they wanted to “pay tribute to Her Majesty’s long and unwavering service to our country.”

Players pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II during a soccer match between West Ham and FCSB Steaua Bucharest in London on Sept. 8, 2022.Ian Walton / AP

“This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her,” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said, “and we join together with all those in mourning her passing.”

The English Football League — the three divisions below the Premier League — also called off their games scheduled for the weekend.

Read the full story here.

3h ago / 12:15 PM UTC

British PM Truss leads tributes from U.K. lawmakers

British Prime Minister Liz Truss led the tributes to Queen Elizabeth II as lawmakers gathered in the country’s Parliament to pay their respects.

“In the hours since last night’s shocking news, we have witnessed the most heartfelt outpouring of grief at the loss of Her late Majesty the Queen,” Truss said.

“Crowds have gathered, flags have been lowered to half-mast, tributes have been sent from every continent around the world,” she added.

Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, said that the queen’s “legacy would live on forever.” He added that Elizabeth “played a crucial role as the thread between the history we cherish and the present we own.”

3h ago / 12:13 PM UTC

Yeoman Warders line up outside the Tower of London Yeoman Warders, nicknamed Beefeaters, line up for the death gun salute that will be fired at the Tower of London, to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II, in London on Sept. 9, 2022. Glyn Kirk / AFP – Getty Images

3h ago / 12:11 PM UTC

Charles III to be formally proclaimed king in historic ceremony Saturday

Charles technically became king the moment Queen Elizabeth II died, but he will be formally pronounced the new monarch at 10 a.m. (5 a.m. ET) at an accession council at St. James’s Palace on Saturday.

The accession council is attended by members of the Privy Council, who are advisers to the monarch on matters of the state. The ceremony is split into two parts: First, the council will proclaim Charles the king without his attendance, and, in a follow-up ceremony, he will join them and swear to uphold the church in Scotland and swear to continue the running of government.

At 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET), the first public proclamation of the new monarch will be read from a balcony in St. James’s Palace by the Garter King of Arms, in the presence of the earl marshal and the serjeant-at-arms, who are ceremonial officers of the crown and the Parliament. Following this first public proclamation, similar ceremonies will follow suit in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

During the proclamation of the new monarch, flags will temporarily fly at full-staff, although they will be returned to half-staff after the ceremony to reflect the period of national mourning.

4h ago / 12:03 PM UTC

Boris Johnson refers to the queen as ‘Elizabeth the Great’

Speaking to the House of Commons, Boris Johnson delivered what some called a moving tribute to the queen.

4h ago / 11:56 AM UTC

Bank of England to delay key interest rate meeting

The Bank of England said Friday it would postpone a decision on whether to raise interest rates “in light of the period of national mourning.”

The decision could have serious consequences given the scale of the United Kingdom’s cost-of-living crisis.

The bank’s monetary policy committee was due to meet Thursday but will now meet Sept. 22 instead, it said.

4h ago / 11:49 AM UTC

Biden to attend queen’s funeral

The White House has confirmed to NBC News’ Savannah Guthrie that President Joe Biden will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

The queen will be laid to rest after 10 days of mourning, during which time the public can pay their respects. Leaders from around the world are expected to attend the state funeral.

4h ago / 11:47 AM UTC

Charles leaves Scotland Britain’s King Charles III leaves Aberdeen Airport as he travels to London following Thursday’s death of Queen Elizabeth II, in Aberdeen, Scotland. Aaron Chown / AP

4h ago / 11:41 AM UTC

King Charles III leads Britain in mourning

For the first time in 70 years, Britain awoke Friday without its queen. And as the country entered a lengthy period of national mourning after her death, it stepped into this uncertain new era already troubled by economic crisis and its latest bout of political upheaval.

Crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace to lay flowers and to witness history as a well-rehearsed plan for how the nation will bid farewell to one monarch and welcome another swung into action. With typical order and correctness, Buckingham Palace issued advice Friday morning on exactly where the public can leave floral tributes.

King Charles III, the longest-serving heir to the throne, is finally assuming his birthright at the age of 73. He will lead the country in a run of royal events based on traditions stretching back centuries.

Charles was returning to London on Friday from Balmoral, the Scottish castle where the family rushed to be by the queen’s side in her final moments. He will address the nation later for the first time as king.

Read more here.

4h ago / 11:24 AM UTC

King Charles leaves Balmoral Castle

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, left Balmoral Castle and boarded a plane in Aberdeen, Scotland. They are making their way to London.

The new monarch will meet with Prime Minister Liz Truss before he makes his first televised address as king.

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will leave Scotland and travel to London.Andrew Milligan / AP

4h ago / 11:16 AM UTC

Muffled bells toll across United Kingdom

At 12 p.m. (7 a.m. ET), church bells tolled at Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle, with churches across the country following suit.

Bells will continue to ring for one hour to mark the death of the queen, following guidance from the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.

The death of the sovereign is a rare occasion when fully muffled bells are sounded — a technique to create an echo by fitting pads to both sides of the bell clapper.

5h ago / 11:00 AM UTC

Postage stamps with the queen’s image will remain valid

Postage stamps that bear the image of Queen Elizabeth II will remain valid for use, the British mail service, Royal Mail, said Thursday.

“These include definitive stamps — regular ‘everyday’ stamps — and special stamps,” it said in a statement.

Since 1967, all postage stamps produced by the Royal Mail have featured an embossed silhouette of the side profile of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Royal Mail said new stamps bearing the image of King Charles III will be designed in consultation with Buckingham Palace.

5h ago / 10:30 AM UTC

Prayer and reflection service to be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral

Members of the public will be able to attend a memorial service for the queen in the historic St. Paul’s Cathedral in central London on Thursday.

A total of 2,000 seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis for the service of prayer and reflection. Attendees have been encouraged to arrive up to three hours early to clear security for the event.

Britain’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and other lawmakers will also attend.

5h ago / 10:15 AM UTC

Prince Harry flies out of Scotland after visiting Balmoral Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, boards a flight at Scotland’s Aberdeen Airport on Friday.Peter Summers / Getty Images

6h ago / 10:00 AM UTC

Japan’s PM ‘deeply saddened’ by Queen Elizabeth’s death

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

“The government of Japan expresses its heartfelt condolences to the British royal family, the British government and the British people,” Kishida said, addressing reporters Friday, according to Reuters.

“Japan-United Kingdom bilateral ties have developed through the support of traditional friendly relations between the Imperial Family and the British Royal Family,” he said.

“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II contributed significantly to the strengthening of Japan-United Kingdom relations in particular, including Her Majesty’s visit to Japan in 1975,” he said.

6h ago / 9:40 AM UTC

Head of the Russian Orthodox Church says queen was a symbol of tradition

Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said Friday that Queen Elizabeth II was a symbol of historic traditions for the whole of Europe.

In a statement on the website of the church, Kirill, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that the queen was “an example of the highest culture.”

6h ago / 9:16 AM UTC

Saudi crown prince says queen was an example of ‘wisdom, love and peace’

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on Friday, calling the monarch “an example of wisdom, love and peace.”

“The world remembers today the great impact and deeds that she had throughout her reign,” Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader said in a statement shared by the Saudi state media.

Bin Salman’s father, King Salman, also paid tribute in a separate statement, remembering Elizabeth as “a model of leadership that will be immortalized in the history.”

“We recall with appreciation the efforts of the deceased in consolidating the friendship and cooperation relations between our two friendly countries, as well as the high international status that Her Majesty enjoyed throughout the decades during which she acceded to the throne of your friendly country,” he said.

6h ago / 9:06 AM UTC

What to expect on Charles’ first full day as king

As King Charles III grieves the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, he will also be expected to fulfill a number of royal duties on his first full day as king.

On Friday, Charles and his wife, Camilla, are expected to depart Aberdeen and make their way to London, where the king is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who took office just days ago on Tuesday.

Charles is also expected to issue a prerecorded address to the nation on his first full day as king.

Arrangements following the queen’s death have long been planned under the codename London Bridge.

6h ago / 9:06 AM UTC

Royal mourning period to be observed for 7 days after funeral

A period of royal mourning will be observed from now until seven days after Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

The date of the funeral has yet to be announced, but will be confirmed “in due course,” it said, adding that the period of royal mourning will be observed by members of the royal family, royal household staff and representatives of the royal household on official duties, along with troops committed to ceremonial duties.

Royal residences are also expected to be closed until after the queen’s funeral, including the Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, along with the Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh, the statement said.

Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, the queen’s private estates, will also be closed during the mourning period, in addition to Hillsborough Castle in Northern Island, it added.

6h ago / 9:06 AM UTC

Church bells to toll across England on Friday

Church bells are expected to toll across England on Friday to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the country’s longest-reigning monarch, who died Thursday at age 96.

The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers is recommending that bells be tolled for one hour starting at noon local time (7 a.m. ET), the Church of England said.

Westminster Abbey, in London.Tomas Marek / Shutterstock file

“The death of the Sovereign is one of the rare occasions when fully muffled bells are sounded — a technique to create an echo by fitting pads to both sides of the bell clapper,” the Church of England said in a statement.

6h ago / 9:06 AM UTC

Secretary of State Blinken: Queen was a source of unity

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he and the American people are extending their deepest sympathies to King Charles III, the royal family and the United Kingdom following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

“For more than 70 years — a period during which the United Kingdom and the world witnessed unprecedented change — Queen Elizabeth personified a sense of stability. During a time of tremendous division, she was a source of unity,” Blinken said.

Blinken added in a statement that the queen “was the embodiment of the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”

“We join people around the world in mourning her passing, and we will forever be inspired by the memory of her service, leadership, and friendship,” he said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks in Washington last month.Mandel Ngan / Pool via AP file

6h ago / 9:06 AM UTC

A moment to remember Mourners gather near Buckingham Palace in London on Thursday.Daniel Leal / AFP – Getty Images