King Charles III to address a nation in mourning after queen’s death

2m 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 on Thursday but will now meet on Sept. 22 instead, it said.

9m 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.

11m 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

17m 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.

34m 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

42m 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.

58m 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.

1h 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.

2h 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

2h 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.

2h 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.”

3h 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.

3h 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.

3h 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.

3h 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.

3h 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

3h ago / 9:06 AM UTC

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