‘We are united in our grief at the loss of Her Majesty’

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiles to the crowd from Buckingham Palace balcony at the end of the Platinum Pageant in London on June 5, 2022 as part of Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations. - The curtain comes down on four days of momentous nationwide celebrations to honour Queen Elizabeth II's historic Platinum Jubilee with a day-long pageant lauding the 96-year-old monarch's record seven decades on the throne. (Photo by Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Concerns had grown throughout the day after an announcement from Buckingham Palace that there were worries over Her Majesty’s health.

News of her passing, at the age of 96, was given this evening.

Her son, Charles becomes King and he will return to London tomorrow after spending time with family this evening in Scotland.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 11: (L-R) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh stand on the balcony during the Trooping the Colour, this year marking the Queen's 90th birthday at The Mall on June 11, 2016 in London, England. The ceremony is Queen Elizabeth II's annual birthday parade and dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle. (Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)

He said his mother’s passing was ‘the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

Reacting to the news this evening, Melton MP, Alicia Kearns, said: “We are united in our grief at the loss of Her Royal Highness, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"She was a steadfast presence in our lives. Reassuring in her constancy, and heartfelt in her dedication to our nation.

"We loved her for her sense of duty to our communities and the crown.

ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 06: Queen Elizabeth greets newly elected leader of the Conservative party Liz Truss as she arrives at Balmoral Castle for an audience where she will be invited to become Prime Minister and form a new government on September 6, 2022 in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Queen broke with the tradition of meeting the new prime minister and Buckingham Palace, after needing to remain at Balmoral Castle due to mobility issues. (Photo by Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

"With her husband Prince Philip by her side she was our longest serving monarch, and her leadership has shaped not just our country but so much of the world.

"Queen Elizabeth’s presence has been a source of strength for so many, and the end of her reign marks the end of a truly extraordinary second Elizabethan era.

“My heart goes out to all of her loved ones.”

The Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Michael Kapur OBE, said: “I am deeply saddened by the death of our Queen, who dedicated her life to the service of our country and the Commonwealth.

“Queen Elizabeth served as our Monarch longer than any of her predecessors and was hugely respected and loved by people across the world.

"The recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations demonstrated how loved and treasured she was.

“I wish to extend my sincere sympathy to our new King and all members of the Royal family at this very sad time.

“I will be observing Royal mourning until after The Queen’s funeral which means that I will not be undertaking social engagements as Lord-Lieutenant.”

Leader of Leicestershire County Council, Nick Rushton, added: “We are all deeply moved to hear of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

"I speak on behalf of the elected members and those working for the county council.

“Many of us have only ever known one Monarch – such has been the remarkable reign of Queen Elizabeth the Second.

“As a mark of respect, during the period of Royal mourning, the union and county flags have been half-masted at County Hall.

"Our headquarters will also be illuminated in purple until after The Queen’s funeral.

“The chairman will be attending only those official engagements of a formal nature and will not be wearing his insignia.”

Bishop of Leicester, The Rt Revd Martyn Snow, said: “I learnt of the death of her Majesty the Queen with enormous sadness at the loss of a faithful, courageous and inspirational monarch.

“She was a great gift to our country, ruling for 70 years with complete dedication to her people and to her vocation.

"She succeeded in being Queen for all of us, whatever our status, beliefs or background. As we all know, she was held in deep respect and admiration across the world, by both ordinary people and international leaders.

“Having had the privilege of meeting her personally, I found Her Majesty to be warm and approachable, intensely interested in others and always keen to remind us that it is our common efforts that forge and maintain our community life.

"Her Christian faith provided an inspiration and encouragement to many, and was the motivation to her life-long desire to serve her country and the Commonwealth, and their people. We owe her a deep debt of gratitude.

“Today we pray for the royal family in their own grief, and extend our deepest sympathy to them.”

Temporary Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police, Rob Nixon, said: “The loss of the Queen is keenly felt by officers and staff here at Leicestershire Police and for those of us who have sworn an oath, this is a very poignant day.

“Above all else, our ability to serve the law is down to our constitutional monarchy and we have been proud to serve Queen Elizabeth during her remarkable reign.

“She has visited our city many times and each time we have been honoured to welcome her here. It has been our privilege to welcome her and provide policing support for her visits.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews: “This is a very sad day for us all. Her Majesty’s kindness knew no bounds, even complimenting me on my rather suspect brown suede and corduroy jacket as I stood in the crowd outside Windsor Castle for her Silver Jubilee in 1977.

“From charity work, hosting and guiding Heads of State, to a wide array of other public and voluntary engagements, Her Majesty’s sense of duty and devotion to a lifetime of service are qualities to be admired and adorned upon ourselves so we can be and do better in our lives.

"Quite simply, The Queen has been the strength and stay of our nation for generations, and we owe her a debt of gratitude greater than she would have ever claimed.”

The Lord-Lieutenant will publish further information about how the city and county will be marking The Queen’s death, and how local residents are able to join in this collective mourning.

This local information will available soon at: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/TheQueen