V/D/C NEWS:
LONDON: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who was the second-longest reigning monarch in history, after France's Louis XIV, died yesterday at the age of 96. Several leaders across the world have issued statements paying tribute to her.
She died peacefully at her estate in Balmoral, Scotland , according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son, Charles, succeeds as king immediately, according to centuries of protocol, beginning a new, less certain chapter for the royal family after the queen's record-breaking 70-year reign.
"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," King Charles said in a statement.
After Queen Elizabeth II's coffin returns to London, she will "lie in state" in Westminster Hall for about 4 days before her funeral, BBC reported. This would allow members of the public to file past.
The grand hall is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, at the heart of British government. The last member of the Royal Family to lie in state in the hall was the Queen Mother in 2002.
