Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, passes away

LONDON: Britain's longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has passed away. She was 96 years old. She breathed her last at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed the death. "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," the Royal Family said in a statement.

Earlier, there were reports that the queen was under medical supervision after her health condition deteriorated.

The Queen was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York - who later became King George VI - and Queen Elizabeth.