Britain’s Queen Elizabeth dead at 96 after 70 years on throne

Name: Queen Elizabeth dies at the age of 96
Uploaded: 2022-09-08T17:34:20.000Z
Duration: 2 min 19 s
Description: Queen Elizabeth dies at the age of 96

Britain’s King Charles will address a nation in mourning on Friday following the death of his mother

World leaders pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth, who died at her Scottish home on Thursday at age 96

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02:19

Queen Elizabeth dies at the age of 96

Chad Bray

Published: 1:34am, 9 Sep 2022Updated: 3:12pm, 9 Sep 2022

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s head of state for seven decades and its longest-serving monarch, has died at the age of 96 after months of growing concerns about her health.

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

The queen, who began her reign at the age of 25 following her father’s death in 1952, had suffered “episodic mobility issues” in recent months that had limited her public appearances and was briefly sidelined with Covid-19 earlier this year.

As a result, she had entrusted more official engagements to her heir, Charles, who will now become King Charles III, and her grandson and the future monarch, Prince William, the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge. At 73, Charles will be the oldest person ever to become monarch in Britain.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much loved Mother,” the king said in a statement. “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”

King Charles will address the nation in a broadcast at 6pm UK time on Friday (1am Hong Kong time Saturday).

Queen Elizabeth’s mobility issues caused her to miss the state opening of parliament in May and forced new Prime Minister Liz Truss and outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson to travel to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to meet with her on Tuesday.