Queen Elizabeth II is Dead

The Queen of England, Elizabeth II, has died. Buckingham Palace announced her death on Thursday stating that the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral Castle, her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer.

Members of the royal family had gathered at Balmoral after the Queen's doctors became concerned about her health earlier in the day. All the Queen's children together with grandchildren; William, now heir to the throne, and his brother Harry travelled to Balmoral after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.

She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history and the world's oldest head of state having ascended to the throne in 1952 at the age of 25, after the death of her father, King George VI.

Over the past year, she had delegated some royal duties to her eldest son, Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, including presiding over the state opening of Parliament in May. It was the first time since 1963 that the Queen did not attend the ceremony. Upon her death, Charles,  hitherto the Prince of Wales, has become King of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth realms.

King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a moment of great sadness for him and his family and that her loss would be deeply felt around the world. "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.

She was head of the Commonwealth, Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, and supreme governor of the Church of England. She was also patron of more than 600 charities and organisations.

As head of state and head of the nation, Queen Elizabeth II was widely regarded as a symbol of stability, working tirelessly to make sure the monarchy remained relevant during a period of immense social, technological, and economic change.

At Buckingham Palace in London, crowds awaiting updates on the Queen's condition began crying as they heard of her death and the union flag on top of the palace was lowered to half-mast by last evening and an official notice announcing the death was posted outside.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres expressed sadness at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whom he said was widely admired for her grace, dignity, and dedication around the world. “She was a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the evolution of the Commonwealth”.

Queen Elizabeth was a mother to four children, grandmother to eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Her Children include King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. She lost her husband Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh last year.

Queen Elizabeth visited Uganda in 1954 when she commissioned the Owen Falls Dam and toured Kazinga National Park in Kasese which was later renamed Queen Elizabeth National Park, in her honour. A clock was installed on the tower at the Nsambya-Entebbe road junction to commemorate the visit. Her second visit was in 2007 to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.