Thousands of mourners are flocking to Buckingham Palace as they pay their respects after the Queen's death on Thursday evening.
At 6.30pm, two members of the royal staff placed a notice on the gates which confirmed the nation's worst fears that the Queen had died at the age of 96.
The notice 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."
At one point the crowds reportedly burst into God Save the Queen. The flag above the palace was lowered to half mast.
By Friday morning piles of flowers were beginning to accumulate at the gates to the palace.
Several left notes, including one reading: "We had you for longer than we deserved you".
Crowds on Thursday night also gathered at Queen Elizabeth's other residences such as Windsor and Balmoral, the latter of which were the Queen died peacefully.
Hundreds of people also streamed down the pavements winding through nearby Green Park on their way to pay tribute at the royal residence.
Sheila De Bellaigue had shock all over her face. The 77-year-old from London told the BBC: "I'm feeling very sad as everybody is here. I didnt know until I just saw the flag."
Describing the Queen in one word, she says: "Staunch!"
She added: "She's been a wonderful Queen and will be very much missed."
One well-wisher said it felt "special" to gather with other mourners outside Windsor Castle.
Lisa, who arrived on Thursday from Florida, said: "I turned the news on and I was shocked, I didn't realise what had happened."
The scene at Buckingham Palace. pic.twitter.com/QzbqcJmoLn
Nodding to the gathering crowd, she said: "But today's special ... I feel this is good to be sitting here.
"And did you see the rainbow? It's fading a little bit but it's been beautiful."
Of the Queen, Lisa said: "I admire her greatly. I actually have been collecting royal commemorative memorabilia for about 40 years."
A steady stream of people laid floral tributes at the Norwich Gates to Sandringham House on the Queen's Norfolk estate.
Some appeared tearful as they approached the iron gates and placed their items at the foot of them.
Security workers closed the road beside the gates to traffic, with metal fencing across the junction of Sandringham Road with Scotch Belt and a police officer manning it.
The crowds continued to grow as the light faded at Sandringham on Thursday, with a mix of members of the public and journalists.
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