King Charles III has released an official statement paying tribute to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II who died at her Scottish home on Thursday at the age of 96.
Released from Buckingham Palace following the official announcement of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch’s death, Charles 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 mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
“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.”
The official announcement of the queen’s death was made at 1:30 p.m. ET and read: “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.”
According to royal tradition, there is no period where the throne is vacant, so when Elizabeth died, Charles automatically became king and, by virtue, his wife Camilla became the Queen Consort.
Following the king’s tribute, Britain’s new prime minister Liz Truss delivered her own from 10 Downing Street.
She said the queen had been “the rock on which modern Britan was built.” And that her death had been a “huge shock to the nation and the world.