King Charles III said: “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."

Charles III said that he and his family would be comforted and sustained by their knowledge of the “respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.” Together with his wife Camilla—now the Queen Consort—he will return to London on Friday, where the King will address the nation.

British writer Ariane Sherine shared her thoughts about the Queen's passing and what the current mood is like in the UK, with Bored Panda.

"It was a real shock. I think, even though she was 96, we all thought and hoped she'd go on forever because she was all we'd ever known. The mood is very somber, it's the end of an era as she's the only monarch to reign in our lifetimes," she said.

"Even my grandad was only two when she came to the throne, and he's 72. But it's nice she made the milestone of reigning for 70 years, which she reached a few months ago. Aside from a few naysayers, the British public held her in very high regard and will miss her greatly."

In writer Ariane's opinion, the Queen will be "a really hard act to follow."

"She did her duties so well and for so long, and remained completely impartial and dignified when it came to politics," she told Bored Panda.

"I do wonder if in years to come we'll still have a royal family, but there's no doubt that she will go down in history as the very best of them and will be sadly missed by most of the people she reigned over," Ariane noted that Queen Elizabeth II's legacy will endure for a very long time.

"I think it's definitely a unifying moment of collective grief," she said that the UK is united in mourning the Queen. However, some Brits are very much against the royals.

"Some people are against the monarchy because of colonialism and Empire, others because they don't think people should be elevated above others and that the divide between rich and poor is unfair. My take is that, if we do have to have royals, they should act like the Queen. She was lovely, always so gracious and diplomatic, and her passing will leave a chasm in British life."

United States President Joe Biden has been leading the international tributes to Queen Elizabeth II. He met her for the first time in 1982. Most recently, they met in 2021.

“She charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom. She stood in solidarity with the United States during our darkest days after 9/11, when she poignantly reminded us that, 'Grief is the price we pay for love,’” he said.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron called Queen Elizabeth II “kind-hearted” and a friend of his country.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II embodied the British nation's continuity and unity for over 70 years. I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century,” he said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the Queen and “her wonderful humor” would be missed. He praised her as a “role model and inspiration for millions” and said that she helped repair the relations between the UK and Germany after the “horrors of World War II.”

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, opened up about how the monarch was “one of his favorite people in the world.” “She was a constant presence in our lives—and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country's history. I will miss her so."

Meanwhile, former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, noted that they were "struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance."

George W. Bush said that the Queen “ably led England through dark moments” and shared that “having tea with Her Majesty—and her corgis—is among our fondest memories of the presidency.” Former President Bill Clinton said: “In sunshine or storm, she was a source of stability, serenity and strength. We will always be grateful for the kindness she showed us through the years.”

The Queen lived her life in service to the United Kingdom. Her’s was a life of duty. And though everyone knew that the day would come when they would have to say a final ‘farewell,’ what has transpired still hasn’t fully dawned on many people.

Queen Elizabeth II reigned for over 70 years, and has been the only British monarch that many of us have ever known. A world without her seems impossible. She was a constant in our universe. Now, Charles has become the ruling monarch.

Born in London on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor became heir to the throne in 1936 at 10 years old, after her uncle, Edward VII abdicated the throne. In 1947, she married Prince Philip, who became the Duke of Edinburgh. They stayed together through 74 years of marriage until his passing in 2021, at the age of 99.

The couple had 4 children together: the eldest, Charles, was born in 1948; Princess Anne arrived in 1950; Prince Andrew was born in 1960; Prince Edward—in 1964. The Queen had 8 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, passed away in 1952 while she was in Kenya together with Philip. She returned to London, now, as Queen. "It was all a very sudden kind of taking on and making the best job you can," she said. At the age of 27, she was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. An estimated TV audience of over 20 million people tuned in for her coronation.

Throughout her reign, the Queen saw the coming and going of 15 prime ministers. From the legendary Winston Churchill to the newly appointed Liz Truss.

What follows next has been clear for those in-the-know for, seemingly, forever. There is a secret plan, ‘London Bridge,’ for the days following the Queen’s death. Nearly every single step has been carefully planned out, steeped in tradition. The Guardian has extensively written about this in 2017.

“For a time, she will be gone without our knowing it. The information will travel like the compressional wave ahead of an earthquake, detectable only by special equipment. Governors general, ambassadors and prime ministers will learn first. Cupboards will be opened in search of black armbands, three-and-a-quarter inches wide, to be worn on the left arm,” The Guardian writes.

“Screens will glow. There will be tweets. At the BBC, the ‘radio alert transmission system’ (Rats), will be activated—a cold war-era alarm designed to withstand an attack on the nation’s infrastructure.

All news organizations will scramble to get films on air and obituaries online. At the Guardian, the deputy editor has a list of prepared stories pinned to his wall. The Times is said to have 11 days of coverage ready to go. At Sky News and ITN, which for years rehearsed the death of the Queen substituting the name ‘Mrs Robinson’, calls will go out to royal experts who have already signed contracts to speak exclusively on those channels. ‘I am going to be sitting outside the doors of the Abbey on a hugely enlarged trestle table commentating to 300 million Americans about this,’” one expert told The Guardian.

At age 73, King Charles III has now become the head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. He will be the head of state for 14 of these countries, as well as the United Kingdom, writes the BBC.

Though Charles III immediately became King upon his mother’s passing, he will most likely officially be proclaimed monarch on Saturday, at St. James’ Palace in London. The formal coronation will happen sometime later, though it is at this point unclear, when. Queen Elizabeth II had succeeded her father in February of 1952, but she was only crowned in June 1953.