'Working till the very end': UK witnesses history as Queen Elizabeth II dies

Queen Elizabeth the second has died aged 96 after leading an "extraordinary life" of serivce to the nation and the Commonwealth.

The monarch's death was announced at around 6.30pm in live coverage on ITV News.

Speaking after the announcement ITV News' Royal Editor Chris Ship said: "We are talking about an extraordinary life, and this is a very sombre moment for the nation."

He said she had been "working until the very end" pointing to her appointment of Liz Truss as prime minister on Tuesday.

He noted everyone viewing were "all witnesses to history" as the crown passes from one monarch to another - something that has not been seen in 70 years.

He said: "This is what we have all known, or at least anyone born after 1952, it is all we have ever known.

"It's this queen. It, is this Monarch who has been there throughout a changing country, a changing world and this Monarch has been there throughout.ITV News's royal editor noted the recent jubilee, saying this was "a year when the country was celebrating the 70-year reign of the Queen, the platinum Jubilee, when tens of thousands of people turned out to show their appreciation over the long Jubilee weekend."

ITV News presenter Mary Nightingale announces the death of her Majesty The Queen

He described her role as something more than just a ceremonial head of state, saying she was "someone around whom our national identity has been formed."

"I think many people identify as British in part because of the queen and the role that she has played over the last seven decades.

"Just think about those balcony appearances at Buckingham Palace, they were always national moments - there were always moments that brought the nation together."

He added: "Think all the way back to her coronation, in 1953, the first to be fully televised and made her the focus of not just a national celebration, a national pride, but ... an international focus for the Queen and for this country at a time when Britain was still reeling from the effects of the Second World War, we now will have another coronation in due course."

Mr Ship also paid tribute to the late Prince Philip, who supported the Queen throughout her reign.

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He said: "They reigned together and it's a testament to the legacy that they both leave behind that they managed to keep the monarchy relevant throughout all those seven decades."

Mr Ship added: "Whether or not you support the monarchy or you would rather Britain had an elected head of state, I think everyone will be united in the belief and the realisation that this Queen did this job for so many years and gave her life to the role that she inherited."

He cautioned that although many plans are in place regarding the monarch's death nothing is guaranteed until it has been signed off by King Charles and the government.

One of the first acts of the new monarch – whose title has been confirmed by the Prime Minister as King Charles III – was to speak of his grief and highlight the “respect and deep affection” in which the Queen was “so widely held”.It is expected details of the Queen's funeral will be revealed over the coming days.