(CNN) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday at age 96. Here's how the royal family announced her passing in a series of social media posts.
The first announcement came from Buckingham Palace at 6:30 p.m. UK time in a tweet.
It simply read: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
Her eldest son, Charles, who succeeds her as monarch and will take the name King Charles III, released a statement 30 minutes later with a post on the royal family's official Twitter account "from His Majesty The King."
He wrote: "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
"During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held."
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