Queen Elizabeth II dead at 96

Queen Elizabeth II passed away "peacefully" on Thursday afternoon at 96, surrounded by family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.

Officials announced earlier in the day that the queen was under "medical supervision" and her family was traveling to her summer residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to be at her side. 

Elizabeth's 73-year-old eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, said the death of his mother is "a moment of the greatest sadness" for the royal family. 

"During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held," Charles, who is now King Charles III, said in a prepared statement.

His wife, Camilla, is now Queen Consort.

Queen Elizabeth II remembered as stabilizing force for Britain in 70 years as queen

Word of the queen's death, at about 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, sent Londoners into the street and to the front of 10 Downing Street on which the notice of her death was posted outside on the black, iron gates. 

"Her long her life of service stretched beyond most of all living memories," U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss said from outside the gates. "In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom, and all around the world. She has been a personal inspiration to me, and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all." 

One of the queen's last official duties was on Tuesday to appoint Truss as the country's new prime minister. 

However, the queen for the first time in her 70-year reign appointed a new prime minister somewhere other than from Buckingham Palace raising speculation about her health.

The royal family's webpage went completely black after the queen's death, only featuring a photo of Elizabeth at her coronation in 1953 and a statement about her passing.

Condolences are pouring in from across the world. 

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden said Elizabeth "was more than a monarch. She defined an era."

They called her the "first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection" through television and radio.

Former President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, said they "will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor."

The Trumps, who met Queen Elizabeth as president, said, "there was nobody like her!" and the queen's "remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose country is still part of the Commonwealth, said: "Canadians will always remember and cherish Her Majesty’s wisdom, compassion, and warmth."

The queen's funeral is expected to be held in 10 days at Westminster Abbey, following plans already made under Operation London Bridge, which is a guide for the entire U.K. upon Queen Elizabeth's death.