A timeline of key moments on 8 September, the day Queen Elizabeth II died.
12pm: The first public sign that a major event was afoot came when Nadhim Zahawi, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, came into the House of Commons chamber shorty after noon and began briefing Liz Truss, the prime minister, as she sat listening to the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, respond to her statement on energy plans.
12.30pm: Buckingham Palace issued a statement declaring that doctors were concerned about the health of the Queen and had recommended the 96-year-old remain under medical supervision.
12.35pm: The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, interrupted the speech of Scottish National party’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, during the debate to tell MPs: “I know I speak on behalf of the entire house when I say that we send our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen and that she and the royal family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment.”
12.39pm: The prime minister issued a statement in which she said that “the whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime”. She added: “My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty the Queen and her family at this time.” Scheduled programming on the BBC was interrupted before the national broadcaster turned to rolling news coverage.
1pm: Reports emerged that senior members of the royal family were travelling to Balmoral to join the Queen and Prince Charles. As senior politicians and leaders from around the world began issuing statements wishing the Queen well, members of the public were gathering at locations including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
4.30pm: Truss was informed by the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, that the Queen had died.
5pm: After a flight to Scotland from RAF Northolt, a cortege carrying members of the royal family was seen arriving at Balmoral. Prince William was seen at the wheel of a Range Rover, which also carried Prince Andrew as well as Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Earl of Wessex.
6.30pm: Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen had died at the age of 96. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” it began, before the news was quickly broken to Britain and the world by media organisations.
6.40pm An official statement announcing the Queen’s death was placed outside Buckingham Palace, where crowds of people had already been gathering for some hours.
7.04pm: Buckingham Palace issued the first statement by King Charles as monarch, in which he spoke about the death of his mother. He 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.”