2.37pm BST

Hundreds of people attended the 96-round “death gun salute” at Cardiff castle as heavy rain stopped just in time for the ceremony , reports Steven Morris .

A 96-gun salute is fired at Cardiff Castle to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth. Photographed for @guardian with @stevenmorris20 pic.twitter.com/dRLP3ezjcb
— Sam Frost (@SamFrostPhotos) September 9, 2022

Those attending ranged from people who had come from many miles to pay their respects to others who had paused shopping trips to be present an historic moment. Some frailer people were pushed into the castle grounds in wheelchairs; younger ones were held in parents’ arms as the shots rang out.
Jenna Mulheron, 38, from Cardiff, a security officer, laid flowers and carried a union flag. “I live in Cardiff but was born and bred Scottish,” she said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for the Queen. I love the royals, I’ve been to all the castles. My favourite history in school was the Tudors. It’s a sentimental thing. I’ll try to go London to try to go to the funeral.”
After the salute, the crowd broke into a spontaneous round of applause.
PhD student Lucy Maybury, 24, said: “It’s a momentous occasion. The Queen was fondly thought of in Wales, the mother, the grandmother to the nation.”

2.32pm BST

How will the new court of King Charles function? Our social affairs correspondent Robert Booth explores the “quiet revolution” that could now take place.

Here’s a snippet:

A slimmed down monarchy led by a king staying true to his lifelong passions and living at a palace with its doors thrown open to the public: these are just two predictions for the court of King Charles made during his record-breaking 73-year wait to be crowned.
The new leader of the royal family and head of state of 15 realms from the UK to Australia via Tuvalu and Jamaica carries a legacy of strident public interventions which will have to be handled carefully to avoid any impression of tensions with parliament or diplomatic partners abroad.
He has railed against rainforest depletion, argued in favour of complementary medicine and during the 2013 Ukraine crisis he was on trip to Canada when he told a 78-year-old Jewish woman who had fled the Nazis that Vladimir Putin was “doing just about the same as Hitler”.
But he and his advisers have long said he knows the constitutional difference between being head of state and heir to the throne and his new leadership will aim to project continuity with the reign of the widely loved Queen Elizabeth, something bolstered by Charles’s decades of support of his mother and a steady revival in public regard for him since the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
“Clearly I won’t be able to do the same things I have done as heir so of course you operate in the constitutional parameters,” he told a BBC interviewer in 2018. Asked if his campaigning would continue in the same way he said: “No it won’t. I’m not that stupid. I do realise it is a separate exercise being sovereign”.

You can read the full piece here:

Updated at 2.35pm BST

2.27pm BST

The King and Queen have surveyed some of the vast number of bouquets that have been laid outside the railings of Buckingham Palace.

A little moment where King Charles appeared unsure which gate he should enter the palace through, but now aides have directed him along the pavement and through the main gates on foot.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have entered Buckingham Palace.
The crowd were cheering as the couple looked at the flowers against the Palace railings. pic.twitter.com/c4zfBndoGF
— Eostre (@NorthernEostre) September 9, 2022

Updated at 2.28pm BST

2.21pm BST

The new King Charles III is greeting wellwishers who have been waiting outside Buckingham Palace.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2sWJKJ_0hoEtYgl00 — King Charles arrives at Buckingham Palace. Photograph: Reuters

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2cARD2_0hoEtYgl00 — The King greets wellwishers. Photograph: Reuters TV

He is accompanied by Camilla, the Queen consort

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4ONWTl_0hoEtYgl00 — The King and the Queen Consort arrive at Buckingham Palace. Photograph: Reuters

Updated at 2.27pm BST

2.16pm BST

The King arrives at Buckingham Palace

A huge cheer rings out as King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive at Buckingham Palace.

“God Save The King” the crowd shout. pic.twitter.com/nRNcCgsBby
— Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) September 9, 2022

The King has arrived at Buckingham Palace with Camilla, the Queen Consort. Charles smiled as he got out of his vehicle and went over to the crowds of waiting mourners, giving them thanks for their support and presence.

Some in the crowd shouted: “God Save the King”, but people are generally subdued, offering their condolences.

Updated at 2.33pm BST

2.13pm BST

Climate protests planned for this weekend have been cancelled, with groups anxious not to be labelled insensitive after the Queen’s death, writes my colleague Damien Gayle .

On Saturday, Extinction Rebellion had been due to occupy Hyde Park for a three-day “festival of resistance”. But on Thursday night the climate activist group circulated a statement saying the protest was cancelled.
“Due to [the] news about the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the decision has been made to postpone this weekend’s planned Festival of Resistance in London until further notice,” the group said in a statement.
Ongoing protests by Animal Rebellion targeting dairy distribution centres in the Midlands and the south of England have also been paused, the Guardian was told.
According to a source in the group members of the group voted to pause actions “for a little while”, although plans for mass protest in London in October were still expected to go ahead.
“Ending new fossil fuel production would be the only fitting memorial to Queen Elizabeth II,” Just Stop Oil, the civil disobedience group whose supporters have targeted oil terminals, tweeted .
In a Twitter thread, Just Stop Oil continued: “We recognise the significance of the Queen to many people in this country, however, for all us who remain, the climate catastrophe carries on. The cost of living crisis carries on. The lives of millions across the Commonwealth and beyond are threatened.
“Just Stop Oil will continue in peaceful civil resistance until the government agrees to end new oil and gas. Join us and many others on October 1st to protect our country, to protect those who can’t eat or heat and those around the world who are suffering and dying right now.”

Updated at 2.23pm BST

2.04pm BST

Trevor Skerritt, 59, from Guilford, says he felt drawn to come to Windsor to pay his respects because of what he believes the Queen represents.

“For most of us, she’s been the only monarch we have known,” Skerritt says. “She has given us solidity, she’s kept the royal family going through thick and thin.”

But Skerritt adds that he doesn’t believe it is all sad. “She lived to 96, and she’s lived a good life,” Skerritt adds.

She’s quite an impressive person – for most people when they think of the royal family they don’t just think of any monarch, but they picture Elizabeth II. She’s kind of been here forever so it’s a big change in the country’s structure.

Ewa, 60, originally from Sweden but who lives locally in Windsor, says that as well to pay her respects today, she came to the centre of Windsor on Thursday when she heard there were concerns for the Queen’s health.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1IVpHO_0hoEtYgl00 — Eva also came to Windsor Castle on Thursday when she heard that there were concerns for the Queen’s health. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

“I came here yesterday before she passed because I wanted to give encouragement, and I’ve come today to pay my respects,” she says.

Ewa adds that regarding the Queen’s death she has mixed emotions. “I guess it was expected but not accepted,” she says.

I kind of expected that with her age, it may have been time for her to go and be with Phillip. But at the same time, it’s difficult to accept. It feels strange to say that we have a king now. She was not only a queen to Britain, but it felt like she was the world’s queen too.

Updated at 2.19pm BST

2.01pm BST

The King has left RAF Northolt by car and is heading towards Buckingham Palace.

2.01pm BST

King Charles has been pictured arriving in London for the first time since becoming monarch.

He and Camilla were photographed in a royal Bentley after their plane touched town at RAF Northolt.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3nFsqZ_0hoEtYgl00 — King Charles and Camilla. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2rH12K_0hoEtYgl00 — The King and the Queen Consort. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2yHYKm_0hoEtYgl00 — Onlookers try to get a glimpse of the couple. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

The King seen getting out of the plane at RAF Northolt:

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1vPc6x_0hoEtYgl00 — Charles and Camilla arrive at RAF Northolt Photograph: BBC News

Updated at 2.11pm BST

1.56pm BST

The plane carrying the King was watched by over 150,000 people on a flight tracking website as it landed.

According to FlightRadar24, 153,000 users were tracking flight KRH20R as it touched down at RAF Northolt at 1.35pm.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3zp7YA_0hoEtYgl00 — The plane carrying King Charles III and the Queen arriving at RAF Northolt in London. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

1.50pm BST

Members of the public broke into a spontaneous round of applause at the end of a 96-round military salute for the Queen in Edinburgh.

The city fell to almost complete silence as three cannons fired 96 rounds, one for each year of the Queen’s life, from the turrets of Edinburgh’s famous.

The loud crack of gunfire seemed to reverberate from Castle Rock across the city’s Royal Mile, where security has been tightened ahead of the Queen’s coffin arriving at the Palace of Holyroodhouse from Balmoral this weekend.

Round of applause for the 96-round salute for the Queen from Edinburgh castle. The city fell almost completely silent for the military tribute, which lasted almost 20 minutes. pic.twitter.com/6RrPVtBsrH
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) September 9, 2022

Jan White, 56, was one of hundreds of people who stopped to watch the gun salute from the busy Princes street.

“It was moving, it was touching,” she said.

I just can’t believe how quickly she went – after just hearing yesterday and then suddenly there she was, dead, the same day. It’s so sad.

White, a civil servant who was born in London but moved to Edinburgh 25 years ago to study, said she “loved” the Queen and that it would take time to adjust to the reign of King Charles III.

“It’s quite hard to imagine Britain without a Queen because we’ve all grown up with her and suddenly that’s it - it’s over,” she said.

I think it will take a while to adjust. Now that she’s gone who knows what will happen to the monarchy.

White said she believed there should “absolutely” still be a royal family with an unelected head of state because of the benefits to Britain from tourism and global influence: “We’re the envy of the world. We’ve got something a lot of places haven’t got.”

Updated at 2.02pm BST

1.43pm BST

Two monks from the Theravada Buddhist centre in Aberdeen, dressed in orange-brown robes, took a bouquet of sunflowers to Balmoral’s gates on Friday.

Sujan, 45, a monk originally from Nepal, said:

The Queen is significant and important for all of us - her 70 years of work, of dedication and determination for the betterment of people.
After the Second World War, the country was in a difficult time. She was a figurehead, someone you can trust. You can’t trust politicians.

The collection of flowers at #Balmoral ’s gate is deepening and growing, with a rich scent in the air #Queen #QueenElizabethII pic.twitter.com/UYJfwpFGlN
— Severin Carrell (@severincarrell) September 9, 2022

1.39pm BST

King Charles lands in London

A plane carrying the King has landed at RAF Northolt in west London.

The plane carrying the King and the Queen consort landed at RAF Northolt in west London at around 1.34pm, having earlier departed from Aberdeen international airport.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2QJCXK_0hoEtYgl00 — The plane carrying Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla arrives at RAF Northolt. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Zu4Pu_0hoEtYgl00 — An airplane carrying King Charles and Queen Camilla arrives at RAF Northolt. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2c6cnz_0hoEtYgl00 — The plane of King Charles III and Camilla touches down at RAF Northolt. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

King Charles is due to meet the prime minister, Liz Truss, ahead of his first address to the nation.

Updated at 1.52pm BST

1.35pm BST

Church bells tolled across the nation to mark the death of the Queen.

Bells tolled at midday at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle with churches across the country following suit.

The Church of England had sent out guidance to parish churches, chapels and cathedrals encouraging them to toll their bells or open for prayer or special services following the announcement from Buckingham Palace.

Guidance recommended tolling muffled bells for an hour from midday on Friday.

Church bells will be tolled across England from noon following the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Find out where you can hear the bells in your local area, at https://t.co/0kPhbnfIJk .
— The Church of England (@churchofengland) September 9, 2022

Updated at 1.37pm BST

1.30pm BST

Formal proclamation of King Charles III to be televised in TV first

The accession council will be televised for the first time in history, Clarence House has confirmed.

Buckingham Palace earlier announced that the council would officially proclaim King Charles III in the state apartments of St James’s Palace at 10am on Saturday.

Updated at 1.34pm BST

1.26pm BST

Just outside the gates of Windsor Castle, many people have gathered from across the country to pay their respects to Elizabeth II.

One such person was Beryl McAvoy from Ealing, who had also come to the same spot 25 years ago to lay flowers after the death of Princess Diana.

“Thinking of the Queen, she was simply beautiful”, she said.

She’s always been there for everybody. It seems strange that she is not here anymore, it’s been a long time.

McAvoy, who was 11 when Elizabeth II was crowned, said that she initially found it difficult to accept the news she had died.

“I didn’t believe it at first, it was really sad,” she said. “But she died peacefully, she wasn’t in pain or anything which was nice, although she was getting frail”.

Updated at 1.31pm BST

1.20pm BST

First in the queue at Cardiff Castle for the 96-round gun salute was Sara Rees , a radiographer who was waiting patiently in the rain with her cockapoo, Teddy.

Members of the public wait to pay their respects at Cardiff Castle and for the 96-round salute this afternoon. Photographed for @guardian with @stevenmorris20 pic.twitter.com/lGWVF5y8wq
— Sam Frost (@SamFrostPhotos) September 9, 2022

She said:

I’ve come to pay my respects. I first saw the Queen in 1977 at the time of her silver jubilee. She came to Neath when I was 11. She opened a leisure centre, visited a factory and then she went to Margam Park. We all had a day off school and went and saw her. Later I saw at the Royal Welsh Show, she used to go there on the Wednesday. I think everyone loved her. She’s the only queen we’ll ever have in our lives. I was really sad when I heard last night.

People of all ages and nationalities were at the castle, among them South Africans Dylan Teixeira and Jaden Hanson-White, who are studying in the UK and Ireland. Hanson-White said:

This is a moment in history. Obviously we’re very sad. We were in the movie theatre when we heard. My cousin messaged on my family group that the Queen had passed. I was totally gobsmacked. She reached the world. One of her first speeches was in Cape Town. ”

Teixeira said:

I’m sad. She was a strong person, a role model but also interested in the history of it all, how it works.

Ashley Manuel and Jasmine Maniraj from Reading took their daughters, Stefna and Sabrina along. Stefna said:

It’s really sad she passed away, we were expecting her reign to last longer.

Sabrina said:

I expected her to live to 99 or 100 years.

Updated at 1.27pm BST

1.17pm BST

Liz Truss will meet King Charles for the first time since the death of the Queen on Friday afternoon.

The prime minister is expected to go to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the King after his arrival in London from Scotland.

After his meeting with Truss, who has been in office for only four days, the King is expected to give a televised address to the nation.

Truss is unlikely to make a speech on Friday but will give a reading at a service to commemorate the Queen at St Paul’s Cathedral which is scheduled to take place at 6pm.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3FABB7_0hoEtYgl00 — Liz Truss will give a reading at a service to commemorate the Queen at St Paul’s Cathedral. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/AFP/Getty Images

Much government business has been suspended, but Truss started the day with a cabinet meeting where ministers paid tribute to the Queen and spoke of their recollections of meeting her, before observing a moment of silence.

She is later likely to hold calls with international leaders who wish to express sympathy with the British people.

Updated at 1.23pm BST

1.13pm BST

Prince William leaves Balmoral to travel back to Windsor

The Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, who is a privy counsellor, is travelling back to Windsor to be with his family ahead of the accession council, Kensington Palace has said.

Updated at 1.19pm BST

1.11pm BST

The loss of the Queen “robs our country of its stillest point, its greatest comfort, at precisely a time when we need those things most”, Keir Starmer has said.

Paying tribute to the Queen in the Commons, the Labour leader said:

Our Queen’s commitment to us, her life of public service, was underpinned by one crucial understanding, that the country she came to symbolise is bigger than any one individual or any one institution.
It is the sum total of all our history and all of endeavours and it will endure.
The late Queen would have wanted us to redouble our efforts, to turn our collar up and face the storm, to carry on. Most of all she would want us to remember that it is in these moments that we must pull together.
The reason our loss feels so profound is not because she stood at the head of our country for 70 years but because, in spirit, she stood amongst us.

1.08pm BST

The Bank of England has postponed next week’s meeting of its monetary policy committee .

The Bank said in a statement:

In light of the period of national mourning now being observed in the United Kingdom, the September 2022 meeting of the monetary policy committee has been postponed for a period of one week.

The new rates decision will be announced on 22 September instead.

Updated at 1.14pm BST

1.03pm BST

Gun salutes being fired in tribute to the Queen

Gun salutes aretaking place in tribute to the Queen in London, around the UK and abroad.

One round will be fired every 10 seconds, with 96 to represent each year of the monarch’s life.

Gun salutes are being held in tribute to the Queen in Hyde Park, London https://t.co/n4EqZwYqsD
— PA Media (@PA) September 9, 2022

Gun salutes are taking place in locations including Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Hillsborough Castle, York, Portsmouth and Gibraltar.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2p3cPm_0hoEtYgl00 — A 96-gun salute at Cardiff Castle, with one round to mark each year of the Queen’s life Photograph: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Updated at 1.12pm BST

1.01pm BST

Boris Johnson has said he “choked up” when the BBC asked him to record a tribute to the Queen .

The former prime minister told the Commons the broadcaster had asked him to talk about the Queen in the past tense a few months ago.

He said:

I am afraid I simply choked up and I couldn’t go on. I am really not easily moved to tears, but I was so overcome with sadness that I had to ask them to go away.
I know that today there are countless people in this country and around the world who have experienced the same sudden unexpected emotion.

Updated at 1.05pm BST

12.50pm BST

A steady stream of people wanting to pay their respects to the Queen made their way to Edinburgh’s Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the monarch in Scotland.

The crowds were not huge, nor were they small. Some wanted to lay flowers, many wanted to photograph the official notice of the Queen’s death pinned to a metal gate. Others just felt they had to be there, even for just a few minutes.

Crowds gather at Holyrood Palace, some laying flowers, others queuing to see the official notice pinned to a gate. pic.twitter.com/7vxHLMDsE5
— Mark Brown (@markbrown14) September 9, 2022

Michelle Ford, a health worker from Edinburgh, remembered going as a child to her uncle’s house on the Royal Mile and watching the Queen from his balcony.

She was a great woman who served her country and the commonwealth and she never faltered. She means a lot to me. Like me she’s a mother and a grandmother.
I was very upset when I heard the news, I was crying. Watching her through the years just brings a lot of things back.

Jules Attenborough, a teacher, said the Queen was a beautiful person who had “served the nation so well”. She added:

She has just always been there, hasn’t she. She is the one person who has managed to unite this country.
In Scotland there is a massive affection for her which I don’t think there is for other members of the royal family.

One of the first to arrive on Friday morning was Andrew Anderson, a council worker, who had set off at 5.30am from Balloch, Alexandria to lay flowers at the palace fence.

She has been a constant in my whole life, she’s all I’ve known. Thankfully we celebrated her jubilee, with a street party. I heard the news yesterday and I thought I have to go. I thought Balmoral would be too busy, I thought we’re not going to get close so I came here.
When I heard I just felt lost. It’s a common phrase when people say the world is a sadder place without her but it’s true. It is quite moving.

Mourners start to arrive at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, one of the first is Andrew Anderson. “She was a constant in my life, I had to come.” pic.twitter.com/vV9MKBr9wX
— Mark Brown (@markbrown14) September 9, 2022

Updated at 12.59pm BST

12.46pm BST

The Queen “did not simply reign over us , she lived alongside us” , Keir Starmer has said.

Paying tribute to the Queen in the Commons, the Labour leader said:

For the 70 glorious years of her reign, our Queen was at the heart of this nation’s life.
She did not simply reign over us, she lived alongside us, she shared in our hopes and our fears, our joy, and our pain. Our good times and our bad.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1M8S5G_0hoEtYgl00 — Opposition leader Keir Starmer delivers his tribute to the Queen in the House of Commons. Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images

All our thoughts are with her beloved family, our royal family, at this moment of profound grief.
This is a deep and private loss for them, yet it’s one we all share because Queen Elizabeth created a special, personal relationship with us all.
That relationship was built on the attributes that defined her reign: her total commitment to service and duty, a deep devotion to the country, the Commonwealth, and the people she loved. In return for that, we loved her.

Updated at 1.15pm BST

12.38pm BST

A gun salute will be fired at 1pm at Hyde Park, the Tower of London and locations around the country to mark the death of the Queen.

A round will be fired every ten seconds, with 96 representing each year of the Queen’s life. Other salutes will take place at Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Colchester, York and at naval bases.

Gun salutes are fired as a sign of respect or welcome, particularly on royal anniversaries and when a visiting head of state meets the monarch.

The tradition dates back centuries. There are historical records of salutes taking place as early as the 14th century when guns began to be adopted widely. Similar salutes were fired to mark the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and Winston Churchill in 1965.

Updated at 12.40pm BST

12.36pm BST

King Charles leaves Aberdeen international airport

The King has left Aberdeen international airport for London. He had arrived with the Queen consort in the early afternoon from Balmoral.

He was wearing a dark suit and was carrying what appeared to be a folder or file as he made his way towards the plane. He stopped to shake hands and chat to people before boarding his flight.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=01CmFg_0hoEtYgl00 — King Charles at Aberdeen airport on his way to London. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

Updated at 12.51pm BST

12.29pm BST

Liz Truss pays tribute to 'great leader' Queen Elizabeth II

The prime minister spoke of a “heartfelt outpouring of grief” as MPs sat to pay tribute to the Queen.

Addressing the House of Commons, she said:

In the hours since last night’s shocking news, we have witnessed the most heartfelt outpouring of grief at the loss of Her late Majesty the Queen.
Crowds have gathered, flags have been lowered to half-mast, tributes have been sent from every continent around the world.

She added:

On the death of her father King George VI, Winston Churchill said the news had stilled the clatter and traffic of 20th century life in many lands.
Now, 70 years later in the tumult of the 21st century, life has paused again. Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3nP76f_0hoEtYgl00 — Liz Truss leads tributes to Queen Elizabeth II in the House of Commons. Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images

For more live updates from the Commons, here is our UK politics blog:

Updated at 12.58pm BST

12.22pm BST

King Charles to be officially proclaimed at accession council tomorrow

The King will officially be proclaimed at the accession council at 10am on Saturday in the state apartments of St James’s Palace, Buckingham Palace has said.

A statement read:

The Accession Council will be followed by the Principal Proclamation, which will be read at 11am from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s Palace.
The Proclamation will be read by Garter King of Arms, accompanied by the Earl Marshal, other Officers of Arms and the Serjeants at Arms.
This is the first public reading of the Proclamation.

A second proclamation will be read in the City of London, at the Royal Exchange, at midday.

Further proclamations will be read in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday on Sunday.

In recognition of the new Sovereign, flags will be flown at full-mast from the time of the principal proclamation at St James’s Palace until one hour after the proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, after which flags will return to half-mast in mourning for the death of the Queen.

Updated at 12.30pm BST

12.21pm BST

MPs have observed a minute’s silence in memory of the Queen in the House of Commons chamber.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4bYmWa_0hoEtYgl00 — Prime Minister Liz Truss reads a tribute out in the House of Commons. Photograph: House of Commons/PA

Prime minister Liz Truss paid tribute to the Queen, describing her as “one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known”.

Truss said:

On the death of her father King George VI, Winston Churchill said the news had stilled the clatter and traffic of 20th century life in many lands.
Now 70 years later in the tumult of the 21st century life has paused again. Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known.

For more live updates from the Commons, here is our UK politics blog.

Updated at 12.25pm BST

12.07pm BST

With the sun breaking through the rain clouds on Friday morning, the lord mayor of Manchester, Donna Ludford, and leader of the city council, Bev Craig, visited St Ann’s Square to lay flowers and sign the book of condolences.

Lord Mayor of Manchester @donnaludford and leader of the city council @bevcraig are laying flowers in St Anne’s Square and signing the book of condolences. They are calling on Mancunians to “come together at this dark and somber time, as they always do”. pic.twitter.com/NddbZwaqIo
— Soph Zeldin-O'Neill (@Sophie_ZO) September 9, 2022

Craig said:

The Queen was a true friend of Manchester, who had been there for Mancunians in good times and bad, and the city will remember her fondly.”

Ludford called her a “stoic woman” who “conducted herself with great dignity”.

Craig added:

In a divided society, we hope that the principles she embodied will help bind us together as we move into the next chapter.

Updated at 1.53pm BST

12.03pm BST

Service of prayer and reflection to be held at 6pm at St Paul's Cathedral

A service of prayer and reflection on the death of the Queen will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral in London at 6pm today.

Members of the royal family are not expected to attend the service which will be open to the public and broadcast live by the BBC.

Some 2,000 seats will be allocated to the public on a first come first served basis. Those wishing to attend must visit in person the City of London tourism office on Carter Lane to collect a wristband from 11am.

Audio of King Charles III’s televised address to the nation will be played inside the cathedral if it coincides with the service.

At Friday evening’s service, Andrew Tremlett, Dean Designate of St Paul’s Cathedral, will deliver the bidding. Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, as Dean of the Chapels Royal, will deliver the address, and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will deliver the blessing.

Martin Ford, acting sub-organist, will play before the service, while Will Fox, acting organist and assistant director of music, will play during the service. St Paul’s Cathedral Choir, conducted by Andrew Carwood, will sing.

Prime minister Liz Truss and London mayor Sadiq Khan are expected to attend.

Updated at 12.15pm BST

12.00pm BST

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has paid tribute to the Queen, saying “we all feel an emptiness” following news of her death.

In a video tribute, Macron said:

Millions of people around the world discovered the images of her coronation and were immediately captivated by the young leader who already exhibited such strength and courage. The courage of life marked by the war and soon the courage to uphold, from one century to the next, the values of freedom and tenacity. Her rare and powerful words, her unwavering dignity made her constant symbol of the United Kingdom.

To you, she was your Queen.
To us, she was The Queen.
She will be with all of us forever. pic.twitter.com/PaL1DRmlHK
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 9, 2022

France was “grateful for her deep affection” for the country, he said:

Elizabeth II mastered our language, loved our culture, and touched our hearts.

Macron added:

To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was the Queen. To us all, she would be with us forever.

Updated at 12.03pm BST

11.49am BST

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=34UHzj_0hoEtYgl00 — Members of the public in front of an image of late Queen Elizabeth II, on a bus stop on Oxford Street in London. Photograph: Carlos Jasso/AFP/Getty Images

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1RsojW_0hoEtYgl00 — 18-month-old George Tate from London is shown flowers and tributes by his mother as they visit Buckingham Palace. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images

11.44am BST

The Premier League has announced all matches this weekend will be postponed as a mark of respect to the Queen.

In a statement, it said:

At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To honour her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening’s game.
Further updates regarding Premier League fixtures during the period of mourning will be provided in due course.

As a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed.
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 9, 2022

11.39am BST

Key event

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has arrived back in London.

The prince left Balmoral alone at about 8.15am this morning, and was pictured at Aberdeen airport before boarding a flight.

His British Airways flight landed at Heathrow airport at 11.32am.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1bV0l6_0hoEtYgl00 — Prince Harry boards a flight at Aberdeen airport. Photograph: Peter Summers/Getty Images

Updated at 11.42am BST

11.31am BST

Guns and military personnel have arrived at Cardiff Castle before a 96-round salute taking place at 1pm. Police outriders stopped traffic in the city centre to allow the convoy to swing through the gates.

An Army convoy bringing guns arrives at Cardiff Castle before a salute later today following the death of the Queen. Photographed for @guardian with @stevenmorris20 . pic.twitter.com/SSivkV3EN3
— Sam Frost (@SamFrostPhotos) September 9, 2022

Meanwhile, Welsh pop royalty has paid tribute to the Queen. Sir Tom Jones said:

Queen Elizabeth II was a constant presence and inspiration throughout my life. She was a reassuring force in difficult times.

Dame Shirley Bassey:

There is a reason why Her Majesty was admired not just at home but across the world. Through triumph and adversity, her devotion to our country has spanned eras of unprecedented change. In all that time she remained steadfast, dignified, inspirational. Her courage was mighty, her example iconic.

Updated at 11.43am BST

11.26am BST

King Charles leaves Balmoral

The King and Queen Consort have left Balmoral Castle and are en route to Aberdeen airport, where they are expected to fly back to London.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=30QG4x_0hoEtYgl00 — A vehicle carrying King Charles (not seen) and Camilla leaves Balmoral Castle. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=135154_0hoEtYgl00 — King Charles seen leaving Balmoral. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters

Updated at 11.34am BST

11.23am BST

Fiona Robertson feels she grew up with the royal family. As a child growing up in Tarland, a village 19 miles from Balmoral, the Queen was a fixture of their summers on Deeside.

“When you live around her, you have a very different relationship with the royal family than people in other parts of the world,” she said.

When we were in primary school, we used to go alongside the road, and have a picnic when they arrived. They would always come and open things. It’s just part of your life. We just knew they were up here in the summer.

Robertson, 54, who runs the Sounds contemporary music festival in Aberdeen, was one of the hundreds of people, some driving for several hours, who arrived at Balmoral’s gates on Friday morning to lay flowers as the rain fell, heavily at times. Some came with friends, others with grandchildren, some with their children before school started, and others on their own. Some were Buddhist monks.

The first well-wishers had arrived to lay flowers at Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s granite bridge leading over the Dee river, swollen with rain, as dusk fell on Thursday evening, ignoring the dire weather and darkness.

By Friday morning, the police had closed off verges on the A93 trunk road which runs past the estate and imposed a 20mph speed limit.

Graham Cameron, 60, had driven for two hours from the port town of Buckie on the north sea coast with one of his sons, to lay flowers, wearing his jubilee medal. A former City of London police officer who had been on duty at Threadneedle Street on the night of the IRA’s bomb attack on the Baltic Exchange in 1992, Cameron said:

She was my Queen.

11.14am BST

In Bangkok, the Thai flag has been lowered to half-mast in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. It will remain at half-mast for three days.

ทำเนียบรัฐบาลลดธงครึ่งเสา แสดงความอาลัยการเสด็จสวรรคตของ สมเด็จพระราชินีนาถเอลิซาเบธที่ 2 pic.twitter.com/75Wh6orNkr
— Duangthip_ThaiPBS (@duangtip_TPBS) September 9, 2022

In a statement to British prime minister, Liz Truss, Thailand’s acting prime minister, Prawit Wongsuwan, offered his deepest condolences:

Her Majesty’s tireless compassion and dedication to the United Kingdom and the global community throughout 70 years of Her Majesty’s reign has been praised and admired all over and will always be remembered. Her Majesty’s trips to Thailand in 1972 and 1996 will be cherished and remain in our hearts. During this moment of bereavement, our thoughts and prayers are with you, the Government of the United Kingdom and the British people.”

Prawit visited the British embassy in Bangkok to sign a book of condolences on Friday afternoon.

The Queen last visited Thailand in 1996, during the year of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s golden jubilee, when she watched a procession of royal barges on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok and visited Chulalongkorn University, also in the capital.

During the visit, the Queen paid tribute to King Bhumibol for preserving Thailand’s culture and traditions. “Over the last quarter of a century your country has become a sophisticated modern state with an increasingly confident democracy,″ she said at the time. “But your unique cultural heritage remains intact and your people’s capacity to extend the friendliest of welcomes to visitors is undiminished.″

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2UZtWo_0hoEtYgl00 — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II looks at gifts presented to her by Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej before a state banquet held in her honour at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, 28 October 1996. Photograph: VITOON/AFP/Getty Images

King Bhumibol was the second longest reigning monarch in the world at the time of his death in 2016 – though he was later surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II.

Unlike the British monarchy, which faces media scrutiny, the Thai royals are protected by one of the world’s harshest lese majesty laws, under which anyone who “defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir apparent or regent” can face between three and 15 years on each charge. In 2020, youth-led protests called for the law to be scrapped, and for wider democratic reforms. Since then, at least 200 protesters have been charged with lese majesty.

On social media, many Thais paid tribute to the Queen, including those who are critical of Thailand’s monarchy for its use of lese majesty. Some noted that the newly appointed prime minister, Liz Truss, once called for the abolition of the monarchy – but faced no risk of charges for this, as would be the case in Thailand.

Updated at 11.41am BST

10.58am BST

Stamps bearing the image of the Queen will remain valid following her death , Royal Mail has announced.

Special stamps already announced will still be issued, although there may be changes to when they are launched.

A Royal Mail statement said:

Following the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Mail has confirmed that stamps bearing the image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II remain valid for use.
These include definitive stamps – regular ‘everyday’ stamps – and special stamps. As previously announced, following the introduction of barcodes to everyday stamps, these stamps remain valid until the end of January 2023.
All special stamps that have already been announced will be issued, although the launch dates of some may change. In line with past practice, following the death of a monarch all existing post boxes will remain unchanged. Post boxes already in production or being prepared for installation will also retain the insignia of Queen Elizabeth II.

Updated at 11.07am BST

10.51am BST

Government releases guidance to businesses and sporting events

The government has released guidance saying there is no need for businesses to close or sporting events to be cancelled during the national mourning period , reports my colleague Rowena Mason .

The guidance says some business owners and event organisers may wish to consider closing or postponing events, especially on the day of the state funeral, depending on the nature and tone, but there is no obligation to do so.
On sporting, cultural and other entertainment events, the guidance is that any cancellations are at the discretion of organisers. It adds: “As a mark of respect,
organisations might wish to consider cancelling or postponing events or closing venues on the day of the State Funeral. They are under no obligation to do so and this is entirely at the discretion of individual organisations.”
If events do go ahead on the day of the funeral, the government suggests that organisations may want to adjust the event timings so they do not clash with the timings of the funeral service and associated processions. It adds: “As a mark of respect,
and in keeping with the tone of national mourning, organisers may wish to hold a period of silence and/or play the National Anthem at the start of events or sporting fixtures, and players may wish to wear black armbands.”

Updated at 11.10am BST

10.44am BST

This is a enjoyable series of tweets on some of the Queen’s quietly subversive moments

Some great stories about the Queen that might brighten a sad day. First, how she ensured the King of Saudi Arabia accepted a woman driver pic.twitter.com/BB5SDPYqlm
— Jon Yates (@jonpayates) September 9, 2022

When she had to host the Trumps and turned up wearing a brooch the Obamas had given her pic.twitter.com/pNg7C8tevE
— Jon Yates (@jonpayates) September 9, 2022

When American Tourists didn't realise she was the Queen and asked her to take their photo pic.twitter.com/l0E1wp8dbT
— Jon Yates (@jonpayates) September 9, 2022

When she visited Ireland. She ignored all the advice and spoke in Irish - much to the amazement of the Irish President. Watch the President mime 'wow'. https://t.co/8Dj41ne7WS
— Jon Yates (@jonpayates) September 9, 2022

10.36am BST

My colleague Dan Sabbagh has written a blow-by-blow account of how the news broke of the Queen’s ill-health yesterday.

It was immediately obvious that something grave was occurring. Shortly after noon, Nadhim Zahawi, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, headed urgently into the Commons chamber to pass Liz Truss a note. He lingered to conduct a whispered briefing with the new prime minister while Keir Starmer addressed the chamber.
Moments later, Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, was also handed a sheet of paper. She digested its contents, before looking up in a moment of doubt and concern. The debate on the energy price cap continued, but suddenly the government’s £150bn bailout was no longer the story of the day.

10.25am BST

The courts have fallen silent as judges expressed their “profound sorrow” at the death of the Queen , reports the Press Association ’s Emily Pennink.

Lawyers and court users gathered in the Great Hall of the Old Bailey to observe the two-minute silence at 10am.
Among them were dozens of senior barristers whose titles will now change from Queen’s Counsel to King’s Counsel.
Before observing the silence, the Common Serjeant, Judge Richard Marks KC said it was a “profoundly sad occasion”.
“I’m sure we all send out very deepest condolences to members of the royal family.”
Some Old Bailey judges, who gathered in the hall, wore “mourning bands” with dark lines around their necks instead of their usual collars. Traditionally, the garb is worn for the entire mourning period but is not obligatory.
At the end of the two minutes’ silence, Judge Marks said a book of condolence had been opened as well as one at the High Court. He said it was “indeed the end of an era” and a time of “profound sorrow” before adding: “God save the King.”
The court will not open on the day of the Queen’s funeral. As a princess in her teens, Elizabeth visited the Old Bailey with Princess Margaret and sat in the famous Court One for an afternoon as part of her royal education.
She returned to the Central Criminal Court as Queen in 1971 for lunch with the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs and judges. In 2007, she attended a reception to mark the centenary of the Old Bailey.

10.22am BST

King Charles declares period of royal mourning from today until seven days after the Queen's funeral

The King has declared that a period of official royal mourning will be observed from today and lasting until seven days after the Queen’s state funeral , reports Caroline Davies .

For the latest guidance on Mourning and how to sign our online book of condolence, please visit our website:
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 9, 2022

Royal mourning is observed by members of the royal family, as well as staff in the royal households, and troops on ceremonial duties.
It has also been announced that gun salutes, one round of fired for each of the Queen’s 96 years, will be fired from Hyde Park and the Tower of London at 1pm as the nation enters a period of national mourning, the details of which will be announced by the government.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “Following the death of Her Majesty the Queen, it is His Majesty the King’s wish that a period of royal mourning be observed from now until seven days after the Queen’s funeral. The date of the funeral will be confirmed in due course.
“Royal mourning will be observed by members of the royal family, royal household staff and representatives of the royal household on official duties, together with troops committed to ceremonial duties.
“Flags at royal residences were half masted yesterday, Thursday 8 ^th September, and will remain half-masted until 0800hrs on the morning after the final day of royal mourning.”
The half-masting of flags at royal residences does not apply to the royal standard and the royal standard in Scotland when the King is in residence, as they are always flown at full mast.
Guidance on flags at other public buildings has been issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Royal gun salutes will be fired in London at 1pm, in Hyde Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery, with one round fired for each year of the Queen’s life.
There will be no physical books of condolence at royal residences, but an online book of condolence for those who wish to leave messages is available on the Royal website .
Dedicated sites for floral tributes from the public have been set up, in Green Park and Hyde Park near Buckingham Palace in London. In Windsor a dedicated site has been set up at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk, with flowers brought inside the castle every evening, and placed on the Castle Chapter grass on the south side of St George’s Chapel and Cambridge Drive.
At the Sandringham Estate, members of the public are encouraged to leave floral tributes at the Norwich Gates. At Balmoral Castle, floral tributes can be left at the Main Gate. At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, members of the public are encouraged to give floral tributes to the Wardens at the entrance to the Queen’s Gallery, which will be laid on the forecourt grass in front of the North Turret of the Palace. At Hillsborough Castle, floral tributes may be laid on the Castle forecourt, in front of the main gates.
All royal residences will remain closed to the public until after the Queen’s state funeral, which is expected to be on Monday 19 September, although that has not yet been officially confirmed.
This includes the Queen’s Gallery, and Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh. The Queen’s private estates at Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, will also close for this period, as will Hillsborough Castle, the Queen’s official residence in Northern Ireland.

Updated at 10.44am BST

10.19am BST

A gun salute of 96 rounds to mark each year of the Queen’s life will be fired by 104 Regiment Royal Artillery in the grounds of Cardiff Castle at 1pm on Friday , reports my colleague Steven Morris in Wales.

Welsh and Union flags fly at half mast over Cardiff Castle following the death of Her Majesty the Queen. Photographed for @guardian with @stevenmorris20 . pic.twitter.com/MmE12jxaBS
— Sam Frost (@SamFrostPhotos) September 9, 2022

Preparations under way at Cardiff castle for the gun salute pic.twitter.com/ldwdgBPEnh
— steven morris (@stevenmorris20) September 9, 2022

Muffled and half muffled bells will be rung around the capital and throughout Wales.
The Queen was a frequent visitor to Wales, attending formal Welsh government occasions as well as sporting events and agricultural shows.
She officially opened the first National Assembly for Wales in 1999 and has opened every session following an election in Wales since. She was last in the capital to mark the official opening of the sixth Senedd in October last year.
One of the Welsh communities with the strongest link to the Queen is the south Wales valley village of Aberfan, where 116 children and 28 adults died when an unstable coal tip perched high above a valley slid down the mountain, engulfing Pantglas junior school in 1966.
The Queen is said to regret waiting eight days before she visited the village but in the years since then, strong connections were forged.
One of the survivors, Gaynor Madgwick, a child at the time of the disaster, said on Friday that the Queen came to be thought of as “a mother” to the village.

Updated at 10.28am BST

10.16am BST

My colleague Alison Rourke has rounded up the front pages of most of the UK papers marking an “historic and sombre day” in the nation’s history.

Many who loved the Queen will pick up a copy of a UK newspaper today , who all pay tribute to her dedicated life of service. My colleague Jenny Stevens has taken a short video of the newspapers as they currently stand in the Guardian’s offices.

Quite something pic.twitter.com/0wD9uickdp
— Jenny Stevens (@jenny_stevens) September 9, 2022

The Guardian features a full page picture of the Queen at her coronation.

The Guardian front page, Friday 9 September 2022; Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022 pic.twitter.com/5ROqSmVqE1
— The Guardian (@guardian) September 8, 2022

The Daily Mirror has a superb picture of the Queen in profile, against a black background and features two simple words: Thank you.

Friday's front page: Thank you https://t.co/RpX4DCvQ5l #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/0MxuaXtiDh
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) September 8, 2022

The Times takes the decision not to feature a full-page photograph of the Queen, instead presenting a more traditional front page. The paper also had a wraparound image of the Queen at her coronation enveloping the paper.

Friday’s Times #Tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/U0ndJCfVXq
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) September 8, 2022

A stirring front from the Scottish Herald, featuring the Queen against the backdrop of the countryside she loved so much.

Tomorrow's front page as we pay tribute to the Queen pic.twitter.com/9ct0IZH8ST
— The Herald (@heraldscotland) September 8, 2022

All the front pages are here:

Updated at 10.16am BST

10.04am BST

A service for the Queen will be held at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh this weekend , attended by the royal family, reports my colleague Josh Halliday in Edinburgh. The Queen’s coffin will then stay at St Giles for 24 hours for a period of lying at rest.

A smattering of police and G4S security officers this morning outside St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where a service for the late Queen will be attended by the royal family this weekend. The Queen’s coffin will then stay here for 24 hours for a period of lying at rest. pic.twitter.com/W3CBlRjjte
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) September 9, 2022

Teams of builders are this morning constructing the scaffolding and lighting for the Queen’s service to be beamed across the globe. Security is tightening up across Edinburgh and several roads have been closed. Tens of thousands of people are expected here over the coming days.
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) September 9, 2022

Usually busy roads around the Royal Mile have been closed to traffic in preparation for the arrival of the Queen’s coffin, expected at some point this weekend. pic.twitter.com/Uw9pRGIw8L
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) September 9, 2022

10.00am BST

A service of prayer and reflection on the Queen’s death will be held in St Paul’s cathedral at 6pm today , reports my colleague Harriet Sherwood .

Two thousand seats will be allocated to the public on a first come first served basis.
People wishing to attend the service must visit in person to the City of London tourism office to collect a wristband from 11:00. The service will be broadcast live on BBC1.
St Paul’s will be closed today to allow preparations for the service.

9.58am BST

Prince Harry leaves Balmoral on Friday morning

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, left Balmoral alone at about 8.15am this morning , with the convoy passing flowers that had been laid as tributes to his late grandmother. Guardian photographer Murdo MacLeod captured the poignant moment.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0c6Ng1_0hoEtYgl00 — Prince Harry depart Balmoral alone on Friday morning shortly after 8AM Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

The Prince was also pictured at Aberdeen airport before boarding a flight:

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Hadd2_0hoEtYgl00 — The Duke of Sussex boards a plane at Aberdeen airport as he travels to London following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1zOTeJ_0hoEtYgl00 — Prince Harry at Aberdeen airport. Photograph: Peter Summers/Getty Images

Updated at 10.22am BST

8.02am BST

What happens today

Today will be packed with official, semi-official, and impromptu events marking the Queen’s death. Here’s an outline of the timetable we can expect:

King Charles and Camilla, now the Queen Consort, stayed at Balmoral on Thursday night but will travel to London on Friday where the new king will have an audience with the new prime minister, Liz Truss.
Confirming funeral plans – The King is likely to meet the Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk) who is in charge of the accession and the Queen’s funeral, to approve the carefully choreographed schedule for the coming days.
National mourning – The government will confirm the length of national mourning, which is likely to be about 12 days, PA Media reports, from now up to the day after the Queen’s funeral. The public has already begun to gather in large crowds and leave flowers outside Buckingham Palace and other royal buildings. Ministers will also announce that the funeral day will be a public holiday.
Court mourning – The King will decide on the length of court or royal mourning for members of the royal family and royal households. It is expected to last a month.
Union jacks on royal buildings are flying at half-mast .
Bells will toll at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle . Churches are being urged to toll their bells across England at noon.
A gun salute of 96 rounds – one round for every year of the Queen’s life – will be fired in Hyde Park and at other stations.
The King’s televised address – The King will make a televised address to the nation, which he is due to pre-record, in the early evening. He will pay tribute to the Queen and pledge his duty to his service as the new sovereign.
Service at St Paul’s Cathedral – The prime minister and senior ministers are expected to attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s in central London.