Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died after 70 years on the throne.

It was announced today that the Queen, aged 96, had died peacefully, surrounded by her immediate family at Balmoral Castle. 

The official statement read: "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."

The news came after Buckingham Palace released a statement earlier today saying that doctors were concerned for the Queen's health. 

The country now enters a period of national mourning with her funeral expected to be held in 10 days' time at Westminster Abbey.

While the Queen never visited Axminster, the town was proud of its royal connections with its famous Axminster carpets adorning the royal palaces. 

The Queen's daughter, Princess Anne, had visited the Axminster Carpets factory in 1996.

Local tributes: 'She embodied the very best of Britain'

Commenting on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Richard Foord MP said: "For over 70 years Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a figure of unity and stability for everyone across the UK.

"She embodied the very best of Britain, selflessly devoting herself to serving the people of our proud country without respite or complaint until the very end.

"As Head of the Commonwealth, she championed the values of freedom and compassion. Helping to bring nations together throughout her reign.

"She was also Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces, and I know just how much she was respected by those who have served and are serving in her name.

"She was frankly an incredible figure who shall forever be remembered for the sense of duty she personified.

"May she rest in peace."

The Mayor of Axminster, Cllr Jill Farrow, said: "Axminster Town Council joins the rest of the country in expressing its profound sorrow on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"Her service to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, throughout her long and active life was unparalleled. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and all those who mourn her loss.

"God Save the King."

Chairman of Devon County Council, Cllr Ian Hall, said: "It is with great sadness that we hear of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"On behalf of the people of the County of Devon, I convey that sadness and send our deepest sympathies to the royal family.

"Her Majesty the Queen visited Devon on many occasions since meeting for the first time Prince Philip at the Royal Naval College in Devon.

"She and the Duke of Edinburgh returned on numerous occasions to our county, which they were both always fond of.

"As our monarch, she has dedicated her life to her country in all that she has done, and with unwavering support to all our armed forces.

"With commitment and energy and even into our later years and as a mother, grandmother, wife and matriarch, she has shown no less a commitment to her family.

"Her family and the country will miss her greatly.

"She will, however, continue to be an example to us all."

The Lord-Lieutenant for Devon, the Queen's representative in the county, David Fursdon, has also issued a public statement.

"It is with great sadness that we have heard of the death of Her Majesty, The Queen.

"This brings to an end the incredible reign of someone who will surely go down in history as one of our greatest monarchs.

"Very many of us have known no one else on the throne, throughout that long period. She has been a rock standing steadfast among the swirling currents of our times, and she will be very sorely missed.

"We know that as a young princess, it was in Devon at the Britannia Royal Naval College that she met the man who was to become her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. So she had a special fondness for the county from that time onwards.

"She was always passionate about our military forces and so looked with pride on the serving personnel based in our county.

"She was, for example, Patron of the Royal Marines Association, which represents Royal Marines who have retired. She also came to the Cadet 150 at Wyvern Barracks in Exeter in 2010.

"She opened part of the post-war development in Exeter in 1949 as Princess Elizabeth, lending her name to it subsequently, Princess Hay.

"She visited Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay, and these were regular visits carried out throughout her reign.

"But of course she came to Devon in all her Jubilee tours on the Silver Jubilee the Golden Jubilee and the Diamond Jubilee.

"Overall then, she probably visited us every three or four years throughout her long reign.

"I was lucky enough to host her when she visited the Devonport Dockyard for the decommissioning of her ship, HMS Ocean, in 2018, and I witnessed then the love and support of the public on that day.

"I've also had the honour of presenting the medal that bears her name, the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises the families of those who have been lost in conflict.

"She declared after the death of her father that her whole life, whether it be short or long, would be devoted to the service of us all.

"She certainly carried out that promise, and we remember her today with love and thanks for all that she has done for us."

Temporary Chief Constable of Devon and Cronwall Police, Jim Colwell, said: "It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth today. On behalf of everyone at Devon and Cornwall Police, I send our deepest condolences to The Royal Family at this very sad time.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has been a source of comfort and stability for millions of people across the world over her long and enduring reign of 70 years. She has ruled for longer than any other monarch in British history and is a much-loved figure across the world.

"With an unwavering devotion to serving the public both here and in the Commonwealth, she has been an important figurehead throughout the decades. There is a very sad mood across the Force today and our entire police family joins the nation in mourning this sad news.

"Our flags will be flying at half-mast at the following locations within the Force area: Police HQ, Middlemoor, Exeter, Bodmin, Truro, and Camborne police stations in Cornwall, and Charles Cross and Crownhill police stations in Plymouth.

"Memorial plans will be announced by local councils and we ask the public to follow local authority websites for further information.

"We will be coming together as a Force to support the communities of Devon and Cornwall over the coming days as they reflect on Her Majesty's reign and mark this historic moment in time."

A life of service

The Queen was the elder daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

As a child she had no expectation of acceding to the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated in her father's favour on December 11 1936, at which time her father became King George VI.

During World War II she and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, spent much of their time safely away from the London blitz, separated from their parents living mostly at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Balmoral was to become one of her favourite places and it is perhaps fitting that it is there she has passed away.

In 1947 the announcement was made of the betrothal of Princess Elizabeth to her distant cousin, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. The marriage took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20 1947.

Their first child, Prince Charles, was born on November 14 1948, at Buckingham Palace. Today he becomes King Charles III.

In the summer of 1951. the health of King George VI began to decline and on February 6 1952 he died.

Elizabeth, now Queen, was in Kenya at the time and at once flew back to England. The first three months of her reign, the period of full mourning for her father, were passed in comparative seclusion.

But in the summer, after she had moved from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace, she undertook the routine duties of the sovereign and carried out her first state opening of Parliament on November 4 1952. Her coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 2 1953.

Prince Charles was named Prince of Wales on 26 July 26, 1958, and was so invested on July 1, 1969. The Queen's other children are Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

The Queen seemed increasingly aware of the modern role of the monarchy, allowing, for example, the televising of the royal family's domestic life in 1970 and condoning the formal dissolution of her sister's marriage in 1978.

In the 1990s, however, the royal family faced a number of challenges. In 1992, a year that Elizabeth referred to as the royal family's annus horribilis, Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, separated, as did Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.

Moreover, Anne divorced, and a fire gutted the royal residence of Windsor Castle. In addition, as the country struggled with a recession, resentment over the royals' lifestyle mounted, and in 1992 Elizabeth, although personally exempt, agreed to pay taxes on her private income.

The separation and later divorce (1996) of Charles and the immensely popular Diana further eroded support for the royal family, which was viewed by some as antiquated and unfeeling. The criticism intensified following Diana's death in 1997.

Beginning in the latter part of the first decade of the 21st century, the public standing of the royal family rebounded, and even Charles's 2005 marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles found much support among the British people.

In April 2011 Elizabeth led the family in celebrating the wedding of Prince William of Wales — the elder son of Charles and Diana — and Catherine Middleton.

The following month she surpassed George III to become the second longest-reigning monarch in British history, behind Victoria. On September 9 2015 she surpassed Victoria's record reign of 63 years and 216 days.

In August 2017 Prince Philip officially retired from public life and Elizabeth began to reduce her own official engagements, passing some duties on to Prince Charles and other senior members of the royal family. Having dealt with several physical setbacks in recent years, Philip, who had been Elizabeth's husband for more than seven decades, died in April 2021.

2022 brought the Platinum Jubilee, an event that roused the nation and brought celebrations across the country.

It proved to be a fitting expression of respect and warmth from a grateful nation to the woman who spent her whole life serving her country.

On her 21st birthday, before ascending to the throne, the then Princess Elizabeth declared to the nation: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short. shall be devoted to your service."

She has fulfilled that pledge over 70 years, during which time she has been a huge supporter of the Commonwealth and has travelled to all quarters of the globe.