Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history,has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.
Her eldest son, Charles, 73, succeeds as king immediately, according to centuries of protocol, beginning a new, less certain chapter for the royal family after the queen’s record-breaking 70-year reign.
The new King said it was a moment of “the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family”
The Queen steered the monarchy through turbulent times, as Britain’s Empire ended and its place in the world fundamentally changed
She was head of state of the UK and 14 other countries, including Australia, Canada and Jamaica
Born a princess, she only became heir to the throne after her uncle’s abdication in 1936.She is survived by her four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren
