Prime Minister Liz Truss, among the last people to have met the Queen publicly, said in a statement: "We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all. Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th prime minister.

Why the Queen wears every colour of the rainbow

Chloe36501078 said: "We say goodbye to the queen and we mourn but yet the rainbow still shines through to give us all hope for the coming years." It is an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years. Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories. In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world. Speaking in Downing Street, Ms Truss described the Queen as the "very spirit of Great Britain" before declaring: "That spirit will endure." verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{

Support for the Royal Family, and the new king Charles III, have begun pouring in, with some of those gathered outside the Palace welcoming the rainbow as Her Majesty's final bow to the country.