LONDON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom died in Balmoral Fort, Scotland, on the 8th at the age of 96. Her eldest son, Crown Prince Charles, succeeded to the throne.
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Buckingham Palace said on the 8th that Elizabeth II died in Balmoral Fort that afternoon, and the king and queen are scheduled to return to the capital London on the 9th. Buckingham Palace released a statement of the new king on the same day, saying the Queen's death was "the saddest moment for me and all the members of my family ... We deeply mourn a beloved monarch and mother".
On 8 September, in London, England, staff placed a notice of queen Elizabeth II's death on the gates of Buckingham Palace. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ying
British Prime Minister Tras issued a statement in front of the Prime Minister's Office at 10 Downing Street on the same day, saying that the news of the Queen's death was shocking and that she was "the cornerstone of modern Britain".
The British people mourn
Buckingham Palace released the news of the queen's poor physical condition and medical supervision earlier on the 8th, and many of her relatives rushed to Scotland. In the evening, royal staff hung obituaries on the railings in front of Buckingham Palace, and a large number of people braved the rain to express their condolences, and many people laid flowers outside Windsor Castle.
This is a photo of flowers and candles outside Buckingham Palace in London, England, on Sept. 8. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ying
Outside Buckingham Palace, British citizen Doug Grey told Xinhua that he had rushed here to express his condolences and respects to the Queen. He said the Queen dutifully carried out her duties until the last moment of her life.
Citizen Abdi Hafez Jama told reporters he would always miss the queen.
According to British media reports, the United Kingdom will enter a 10-day period of national mourning.
Britain's longest-reigning monarch
Born in April 1926 and succeeded to the throne in 1952, Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
This is Queen Elizabeth II (file photo) taken in London, England, on June 10, 2016. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Han Yan
Elizabeth II's public activities decreased markedly after the death of her husband, Prince Philip, in April last year, and a number of official activities were cancelled and postponed after a hospitalization in October last year. In February, she was diagnosed with the new crown virus. In early June, a series of events were held in the UK to celebrate her 70th anniversary of the accession to the throne, and she was absent from several official events due to ill health. On the 6th of this month, Elizabeth II appointed Terrass as the new Prime Minister in Balmoral Fort. The royal family announced the next day that the Queen had postponed an online meeting of the Privy Council. (Reporters: Du Juan, Zhao Xiaona, Xu Feng; Interns: Guo Jinbiao, Liang Rui; Editor: Shen Haoyang; Editors: Wang Fengfeng, Zhang Dailei)
International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform