Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, has died in Balmoral at the age of 96, after reigning for 70 years, the .

Her family gathered at her estate in Scotland after concerns were raised about her health earlier on Thursday.

The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed huge social changes.

With her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new king and head of state for the Commonwealth.