Watch: The moment the BBC announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II

The BBC, the national broadcaster of the UK, on Thursday delivered the news of Queen Elizabeth II's passing.

Solemnly dressed in a black suit and black tie, newscaster Huw Edwards looked into the camera as he delivered the news.

"This is BBC News from London. Buckingham palace has announced the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In a statement, the palace said the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," said Edwards from the official BBC desk.

"The king and queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. BBC Television is broadcasting this special programme reporting the death of Her Majesty the Queen."

The report was followed by an instrumental of the UK's national anthem and the official royal coat of arms. A portrait of the queen then appeared on screen until the music ended.

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At the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth was the UK's longest-reigning sovereign. Her family had rushed to be by her side after doctors expressed concern about her health. She had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called "episodic mobility problems" since the end of last year, forcing her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements.

Her eldest son Charles, 73, automatically becomes king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

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