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Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Before her death Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II had been under close medical supervision at her Balmoral castle in Scotland because her doctors were concerned about her health. The 96-year-old queen had been at the Balmoral estate for weeks and participated in the changeover from Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Liz Truss on Tuesday.
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"Following further evaluation this morning, The queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral," Buckingham Palace said in a statement earlier Thursday.
Later, Buckingham Palace announced that the queen had died.
Prince Charles, who was first in line to ascend to the British throne, and his wife Camilla went to visit the queen at the castle, royal officials said. Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton and Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle also headed for Balmoral after receiving news of the queen's condition.
A British House of Commons debate was interrupted with the news of the queen's condition.
"I know I speak on behalf of the entire House when I say that we send our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen and that she and the royal family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment," Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said according to the Evening Standard.
"The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace," Truss said in a statement.
"My thoughts -- and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom -- are with Her Majesty the Queen and her family at this time."
Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended to the throne in 1952, is the longest serving monarch in British history and the second-longest in world history after France's Louis XIV. Her husband, Prince Philip, died in April of 2021.
