Queen Elizabeth II: London Bridge Falls

Queen Elizabeth II  is dead at the age of 96 after reigning for 70 years and seven months, being the longest-serving monarch on the throne.

According to a statement from Buckingham Palace, she died at Balmoral Castle, her beloved summer home in the Scottish Highlands.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” the statement from Buckingham Palace read.

A BBC report says her family gathered on Thursday at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health.

Born in Mayfair, London in 1926,  she ascended the throne in 1952. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

She reigned for seven decades, had 15 Prime Ministers, and witnessed an enormous social change in the United Kingdom.

The queen’s death is a watershed in the history of the UK as it ended seven decades of reign.

The Prince of Wales, Charles, has become the new King, now to be know as Charles III.