Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96—palace

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history and an icon instantly recognizable to billions of people around the world, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace said on Friday, Sept. 9 (Philippine time).

Her eldest son, Charles, 73, 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.

In a statement posted by Buckingham Palace, Britain's new king called his mother's death "a moment of the greatest sadness" for the entire 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," he added. (AFP)