Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace has announced.

" Peacefully, the Queen soul is gone at Balmoral after midday'', the palace has said in an official statement.

With her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Crown Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning.

With her death, Charles, the late Queen's eldest child, is at the forefront of leading the country as king and head of 14 countries in the Commonwealth of Nations. 

The new king said, ''The moment of the death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty, is one of the saddest moments for me and all the members of my family,".

He added, "It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of a beloved queen and a dear mother. I know that the grief over her passing will pervade Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations, and will be felt by countless people around the world."

The death has come in the presence of her four children, including Prince Charles.

Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952 and became Britain's longest-reigning monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria.

Her era has marked the end of the British Empire abroad. It was a symbol of stability and continuity in a changing world.

Its era has witnessed tremendous social changes.

Elizabeth's father, George VI, became king. At the age of ten, Lillipet, as she was known in the family, became the heir to the throne.

Within three years, Britain was at war with Nazi Germany. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, spent much of the war time at Windsor Castle after their parents rejected proposals to evacuate them to Canada.

After turning eighteen, Elizabeth spent five months learning basic auto mechanics and driving skills.

"I'm beginning to understand the spirit of community that thrives in the face of adversity," she later said.

During the war, she exchanged letters with her third cousin, Philip, Prince of Greece, who was serving in the Royal Navy. Their romance had blossomed and they got married at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947, and the prince was awarded with the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

Elizabeth later described him as "my strength and my survival" during the 74 years of marriage, before his death in 2021, at the age of 99.

Their first son, Charles, was born in 1948, followed by Princess Anne in 1950, Prince Andrew in 1960 and Prince Edward in 1964.

They all have given their parents 8 grandchildren, who in turn have given birth to 12 children.

Princess Elizabeth, who was in Kenya in 1952, representing the king who was ill, when Philip told her the urgent news of the king's death, she immediately returned to London as the new queen.

Later, she recalled it, " It all happened very quickly, and you are doing everything to do your best job."

Elizabeth was crowned, in Westminster Abbey, on June 2, 1953, when she was 27, and she was watched on television, a record number of viewers at the time, estimated at more than 20 million viewers.

Through decades of successive changes, including the end of the British Empire, overseas, and the 60s, which has witnessed decisive changes, within the United Kingdom.