Queen Elizabeth II has died at age 96, Buckingham Palace announced today.

In a statement, the Palace said the Queen had died “peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon”.

The Queen’s death brings to a close the longest reign in British history.

The Palace statement added that “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow”.

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Charles, formerly Prince of Wales, has become King. He will be known as King Charles III.

In a statement, he said the Queen’s passing was 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. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth and by countless people around the world.”

Official details have not yet been released about what will happen over the next days.

However, a statement issued by Cayman’s Government Information Services, noted that along with the UK and other Overseas Territories, the Cayman Islands has entered a period of 10 days of national mourning.

During this period, the Queen’s body will be moved from Balmoral to Buckingham Palace.
The day of the Queen’s funeral will be declared a public holiday.

All flags will be flown at half-mast from 8 Sept. until 8am on the day after the state funeral, with the one exception being during the period of the proclamation of the new sovereign – at which time they will be raised as King Charles III officially assumes the throne.

The announcement came after members of the Royal Family gathered at the Queen’s Balmoral estate, following a statement from the Palace earlier today in which they said the Queen’s doctors were “concerned” for her health.

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Cayman Islands on two occasions, in 1983 and again in 1994.

The Compass invites you to share your memories of Queen Elizabeth.

Condolence books will be opened to the community to sign from Friday 9 Sept., at the Government Administration Building in Grand Cayman and District Administration Building in Cayman Brac. Floral tributes can be left on the steps of the Government Administration Building and the front gates of Government House, the GIS statement noted.

‘Devoted to your service’

The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor on 21 April, 1926 in London.

On her 21st birthday, in 1947, she made a radio address in which she said “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

Later that year, in November, she married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. The couple marked their platinum wedding anniversary in 2017, before the Duke of Edinburgh passed away in 2021.

The Queen’s first son, Prince Charles, was born in 1948 and a daughter, Princess Anne, followed in 1950.

She would become Queen following the death of her father, King George VI in 1952 at the age of 25 and her coronation took place at Westminster Abbey in June 1953.

She had two more sons during her reign, giving birth in 1960 to Prince Andrew and to Prince Edward in 1964. She later became a grandmother of eight and had 12 great-grandchildren.

Britain’s longest serving monarch

By 2015, the Queen passed the milestone held by Queen Victoria and became the longest-serving British ruler in history, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.

14 US Presidents and 15 British Prime Ministers served in office during the Queen’s reign, the most recent of whom, Liz Truss, was officially invited by the Queen to from a government on Tuesday.

The new King will now take up a number of titles formerly held by the Queen, such as head of the Commonwealth, supreme governor of the Church of England and commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces.

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