Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96

"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Her son Charles, 73, is now king and will be known as King Charles III. Officials said he remains at Balmoral and will return to London on Friday.

Elizabeth II, 96, became Queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other sovereign countries when her father died in February 1952.

She was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, the oldest and longest-serving incumbent head of state, and is considered the second-longest reigning sovereign monarch in world history. (ILKHA)