Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch, has died at the age of 96.

In a statement Thursday, the Royal Family said she died peacefully at Balmoral Castle this afternoon. Members of the Royal Family travelled to Scotland to be at her bedside today.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon, the statement said. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

The announcement of Elizabeth’s passing came hours after the Queen had been put under medical supervision because doctors were concerned for her health.

Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon offered her “deepest condolences” to the Royal Family in a statement on Twitter following the Queen’s death, saying Canadians across the country will mourn her loss.

Calling the Queen “one of his favourite people in the world,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Queen “was a constant presence in our lives” and that “her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history.”

“It was with the heaviest of hearts that we learned of the passing of Canada’s longest-reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Trudeau said.

“As we look back at her life and her reign that spanned so many decades, Canadians will always remember and cherish Her Majesty’s wisdom, compassion, and warmth. Our thoughts are with the members of the Royal Family during this most difficult time.”

Flags in Kamloops – and across Canada – have been lowered to half-staff as a sign of respect.

“On behalf of Council and the City of Kamloops I offer condolences to the Royal Family on their loss and our nations loss,” Mayor Ken Christian said. “Flags have been lowered out of respect and reflection.”

Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other sovereign countries, including Canada, in 1952 at the age of 25, and was on the throne for 70 years. She will be succeeded by her first born son, Prince Charles, who at the age of 73, becomes the oldest person to ever assume the British throne.

“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,” Charles said in a statement. “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.”

Queen’s Visits to Kamloops Area

Local aviation historian Neil Burton reached out to media with information on the Queen’s visits to Kamloops over the years.

In the spring of 1939, a 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth visited Kamloops with her family – father King George VI, mother Elizabeth, and 8-year-old sister Princess Margaret – as part of a coast-to-coast tour of Canada.

Six-year-old Rose Blades and seven-year-old Tracy Sjodin were part of a class of eight children from the erstwhile Brocklehurst Elementary School on Crestline Street who were put on a dance to entertain the Royal Family.

Twelve years later, in the fall of 1951, the then 25-year-old princess and her family again visited the city, greeting residents in Riverside Park.

The visit was an unexpected side trip from their official itinerary in the Okanagan as the future Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, were not scheduled to be in Kamloops.

In July 1959, the now Queen Elizabeth and her husband arrived at the Canadian Pacific Railway station in Kamloops.

They toured a small area of the city before heading to the baseball grounds at Riverside Park, where they were escorted to a raised platform. Following that ceremony, they headed to Kamloops Airport flying to Pennask Lake for a vacation.

Twelve years later, in May 1971, the Queen, Prince Phillip, and Princess Anne landed in Kamloops where they were met with then-MLA Phil Gaglardi, Mayor Peter Wing, and airport manager, Jim Mills, and their spouses.

The visit coincided with the centenary of B.C.’s entry into Confederation, with the visitors greeted by a crowd of around 4,000 people around the airport parking area. While the Queen did not speak, the Royals “mingled freely with the crowd” and met with a number of Mayors from surrounding communities.

She was also presented with a bouquet of flowers by 10-year old Vivian Zumino, with Mayor Wing also giving her a painting of the Balancing Rock near Savona by local artist Doris Nelson.

The Mount Paul Indian Dancers – led by Mildred Gottfriedsen – performed traditional dances to the beat of a skin drum and then Kamloops Indian School Girls Band performed several numbers.

Her last visit to the area was in March 1983, with stops in Victoria, Vancouver, and Vernon, though Prince Phillip also stopped in Kamloops to present the Rocky Mountain Rangers with their Sovereign and Regimental Colors.

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. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

A statement from His Majesty The King: pic.twitter.com/AnBiyZCher

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022