Queen Elizabeth II,  the UK's longest-serving monarch dies at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

All images from Twitter

Queen Elizabeth II's tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth 

Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Ms Truss, born 101 years later in 1975.

At Buckingham Palace in London, crowds awaiting updates on the Queen's condition began crying as they heard of her death 

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

Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, aged 27, in front of a then-record TV audience estimated at more than 20 million people.

After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car accident in Paris in 1997, the Queen drew criticism for appearing reluctant to respond publicly 

"No institution… should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don't,"  ," she acknowledged.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said the Queen was the rock on which modern Britain was built, and the new King would be known as King Charles III.