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Tributes are being paid to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, after our longest-reigning Monarch died this afternoon, at the age of 96.
The Queen was with Her family who travelled to Balmoral after an earlier statement from Buckingham Palace that doctors were “concerned" for Her Majesty’s health.
Announcing the Queen's passing at 18:30, the Royal Family stated: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W
His Majesty said shortly after 19:00: "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."
A statement from His Majesty The King: pic.twitter.com/AnBiyZCher
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
Also holding the the title of Duke of Normandy - the historical title for the Monarch since the Norman Invasion of England in 1066 - the Queen has always had a special relationship with the Channel Islands.
As Crown Dependencies, the islands occupy a unique position as a territory that comes under the sovereignty of the British Crown, and are traditionally described as "self-governing possessions of the British Crown."
Jersey's Bailiff and Acting Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, led tributes to Her Majesty in Jersey.
He described her as an "example of duty discharged and promises kept, and she has worked tirelessly over the decades for the wellbeing of all her peoples and of the Commonwealth."
He ordered that flags be flown at half-mast, and announced that islanders would be invited to lay flowers and tributes on the steps of the Royal Court building tomorrow. Books of condolence will also be opened at midday.
A special sitting of States Members will also be held, but details are yet to be announced.
Chief Minister Deputy Kristina Moore said she will be writing to His Majesty The King to express the Government's "deepest sympathies and islanders' admiration for the life and service of Her Majesty".
In a statement, she reflected on how, "to the people of Jersey, Her Majesty was loyally toasted as La Reine, Notre Duc – the Queen, Our Duke – recollecting the thousand-year relationship between the Crown and the island, from the time that her forebears were the Dukes of Normandy."
"Her Majesty’s reign and her devotion to public service remains an inspiration to many islanders," Deputy Moore added.
The Chief Minister has shared the following statement on the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
— Government of Jersey (@GovJersey) September 8, 2022
▶️ https://t.co/kIVDeUv91D pic.twitter.com/TQM3YyUrGp
The Lieut-Governor of Guernsey Lieutenant-General Richard Cripwell paid tribute this evening.
He said: "I served Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Army for more than 40 years and it has been my honour and privilege to be Her personal representative in the Bailiwick since February 2022.
"It was my most sad and solemn duty to receive official notification of the passing of Her Majesty and to convey it to others in the Bailiwick.
It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death this evening of our Sovereign, HM Queen Elizabeth II. Throughout a remarkable reign, the longest in British history, her constancy and devotion to duty have been an inspiration to us all. She will be profoundly missed. pic.twitter.com/omuZE2QOnB
— Gov House Guernsey (@GvHouseGuernsey) September 8, 2022
"Even in this time of great sadness, I know that everyone in the Bailiwick will always remember Her Majesty's exceptional devotion to her people, her extraordinary service to those she represented and Her love of these Islands."
Guernsey's most senior politician has described how The Queen represented "continuity, constancy and commitment" to islanders.
Deputy Peter Ferbrache, President of the Policy & Resources Committee, said: "Like many in our community, for as long as I can remember Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the sovereign.
"As the longest reigning monarch in British history, she represented continuity, constancy and commitment to people in the Bailiwick and around the globe.
"It is sad, strange and unsettling to hear that Her Majesty is now lost to us."
During the course of Her 70-year reign, Her Majesty paid six visits to the Channel Islands, meeting with hundreds of islanders.
The Queen's first visit to the Channel Islands was in 1949, while her father was King. She was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, who she had married just two years earlier. The pair visited Alderney, Sark, Jersey and Guernsey during a busy day trip.
There was a break of eight years before the now Queen Elizabeth II visited the Channel Islands once more. Her further visits were in 1978 when she was presented with a prize Jersey cow, in 1989 when she opened Jersey's new Elizabeth Harbour and greeted crowds in Guernsey from the balcony of the Royal Hotel.
One year before her Golden Jubilee, in 2001, the Queen returned, and officially opened the new Jersey College for Girls at Mont Millais, she unveiled the Millennium Stone in Guernsey and presented the Seigneur of Sark, Michael Beaumont with his MBE.
Her Majesty's sixth and final visit to the islands came in 2005. It was in many respects the most memorable and poignant, being arranged to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Liberation. She unveiled a commemorative stone in Guernsey which can be seen at the Harbour.
On this year's Liberation Day, the 77th anniversary, the monarch sent her "warmest greetings" to her subjects across the Channel Islands.
In messages read by her youngest son, His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, the Queen reflected on the "trials and hardship" faced by the Occupation generation, saying that she was reminded of the "courage and sacrifice" of those who remain, were deported or evacuated or served in the Armed Forces.
Pictured: Her Majesty's message to Jersey on the 77th anniversary of the island's Liberation.
She went on to state that she continued to "cherish the close and long-lasting ties" between Jersey and the Crown, which she said were founded on the "loyalty" shown by islanders.
More to follow...
Tributes paid across the Islands to HM Queen Elizabeth II
Bailiff: "It is almost impossible to overstate her importance in the life of the nation"
Chief Minister shares Government's "deepest sympathies" over death of Queen
Queen was "steadfast and dependable in a fast-changing world", says Dean
Flags to be flown at half-mast after Her Majesty's death
Islanders invited to lay flowers for Her Majesty
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