On Sunday Buckingham Palace announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II at midnight with a black box around the gates of Buckingham Palace.
The Official Queen’s Twitter Announced,
“”The Queen, who retired to rest last night in his usual health, passed peacefully away in her sleep early this morning.”
Queen Elizabeth was 95 years of age and was in the seventieths year of her reign.
A meeting of the Accession Council is set to be held this evening to proclaim the accession of Prince Charles as the new Sovereign. He is now on his way home with the Duke of Edinburgh and the royal aircraft, which left Entebbe (Uganda) at 2:25a.m. today.
The Queen’s last public appearance was at London Airport on Thursday last week to bid them farewell at the beginning of their Commonwealth tour. His death comes four months after her operation for lung resection.
The Duke of Gloucester immediately travelled to Sandringham from his Northampton home and the Princess Royal cancelled her projected journey to Switzerland. The Duke of Windsor will sail for England from New York on the Queen Mary today. The Duchess will not sail with him. The Duchess of Kent arrived at Northolt last night from Germany.
Arrangements for the lying-in-state and for the funeral must wait on the decisions of the new Queen.
After the Prime Minister in the House of Commons and Lord Salisbury in the House of Lords had expressed their grief at the news both Houses adjourned, as did also the courts of justice.
Prince Charles is now heir to the throne and his sister Princess Anne becomes second in succession with Princess Margaret third.
The Proclamation of Accession to be read to-morrow was signed by members of the Privy Council at St James Palace last night. The text is as follows:-
“Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God to call to His mercy our late sovereign lord King George the Sixth of blessed and glorious memory by whose decease the Crown is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary: we therefore the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm being here assisted with these his late Majesty’s Privy Council with representatives of other members of the Commonwealth with other Principal Gentlemen of quality with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of London do now hereby with one Voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is now by the death of our late sovereign of happy memory become Queen Elizabeth the Second by the grace of God. Queen of this realm and of her other realms and territories, head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the faith to whom her lieges do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience with hearty and humble Affection beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Princess Elizabeth the second with long and happy years to reign over us. God save the Queen”
The Prime Minister will broadcast a message to the nation at nine o’clock this evening.