King Charles IIIhas issued an official statement about the death of his mother,Queen Elizabeth II.

In thestatement from Buckingham Palace, the King, 73, said, “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.”

Buckingham Palace announced the longtime monarch’s death inan official statementon Thursday, which read, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”

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The statement continued, “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

Queen Elizabeth’s death follows that of her husband of 73 years,Prince Philip, whodied at age 99 in June 2021.

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Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth in June 2022.Hannah McKay/getty

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge stand on a balcony during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on June 05, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Hannah McKay - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Queen’s death comes after a year of various health issues. In October 2021, she stepped out with a walking cane. The same month, she canceled a scheduled trip to Northern Ireland under medical advice from her doctors andspent a night in the hospital.

Queen Elizabethalso decided not to appear at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Novemberdue to a sprained backand did not celebrate a traditionalChristmaswith the royal family at Sandringham, partially due to the uptick inCOVID-19cases around the holidays.

WATCH:Queen Elizabeth, the Longest-Reigning British Monarch, Dies at 96

Shetested positive for COVID-19in February. She was being monitored for mild cold-like symptoms while continuing to carry on light duties, according to Buckingham Palace.

After the Queenappointed Liz Truss as the new prime ministerof the United Kingdom atBalmoral Castlein Scotland on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace announced the following day that the Queen would not preside over a scheduled Privy Council meeting so she could rest.

Ahead of the sad news of her death Thursday, Buckingham Palace said in part in a statement that “theQueen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s healthand have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” adding, “The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

source: people.com