King Charles shares moving tribute to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II

King Charles has paid tribute to his late mother.

He will now be known as King Charles III after Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 after her record 70-year reign.

The eldest son of the Queen – who at 73 will be the oldest monarch to take the throne in Britain – hailed his mother’s passing as "a moment of the greatest sadness" in a message titled: "A statement from his Majesty the King at the time of the Queen’s death".

He 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.

"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."

The King’s 96-year-old mother passed away “peacefully” at her Balmoral estate on Thursday afternoon, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

A message on the official royal family website said: “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.”

Earlier in the day, it had been revealed doctors had grown “concerned”

for the Queen’s health and she was placed under “medical supervision”.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.

“The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

Preparations will be made for a state funeral led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

On the fourth day after the Queen's death, she will be moved to Westminster Hall to lie in state for four days.

Hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected to file past her coffin - for comparison more than 200,000 members of the public paid their respects to the Queen Mother when she died in 2002.

On the ninth day following her death the funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey, according to the Guardian.

Leaders and heads of state from the Commonwealth and other countries will attend, and it's likely the public will line the route of the funeral cortege.

Finally, the Queen will be buried in a tomb at St George's Chapel, which is in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Her husband, who died in April 2021, will be moved from his initial resting place, a royal vault of St George's Chapel, to lie with her.

The Hits, additional reporting by NZ Herald, Bang Showbiz