Queen Elizabeth II Dies at 96; Was Britain’s Longest-Reigning Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, has died at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy that, with the help of mass media, has bridged the ancient and the modern.

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch whose widely popular seven-decade reign survived tectonic shifts in her country's post-imperial society and withstood successive challenges posed by the romantic choices, missteps and follies of her descendants, died on Thursday. Balm oral Castle in Scotland, her summer retreat. She was 96.

The royal family announced her death online, saying she died peacefully. The announcement did not specify the cause.

Her death elevated her eldest son Charles to the throne as King Charles III. In a statement he said:

“The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a respected monarch and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt by the entire country, Empire and Commonwealth, and countless people around the world.'