Flowers laid by tearful mourners at Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk after monarch's death

Crowds have begun to build on the Queen's Sandringham Estate, as people begin to mourn the death of the country's longest-reigning monarch.

Flowers have been left at the gates of the west Norfolk estate, where the Queen spent many happy Christmases and came to be viewed as part of the community.

Families and children have gathered to pay their respects after the news of the Queen's death, which was announced shortly after 6.30pm.

The first visitors began to arrive early in the afternoon, as Buckingham Palace confirmed that the monarch was under medical supervision after her condition took a turn for the worse.

ITV News Anglia's Raveena Ghattaura, who is at Sandringham House, reports that some families had travelled several hours to leave their tributes, many with small children.

Raveena Ghattaura - ITV News Anglia reporter at Sandringham

There's a palpable sense of shock in the air at Sandringham this evening.

Families have been turning up at the Norwich gates on the estate since the news of the Queen's death was confirmed this evening.

They have laid flowers and cards of thanks to the monarch, and many have told me of how emotional they became on hearing the news.

Many are from the local area; others have travelled for several hours to be here. One woman told me that when she heard the news of the Queen's illness she got in her car straight away.

Another told me simply that she had felt moved to come to Sandringham because felt "she was my Queen". It's a sentiment that will be shared by many here, in this corner of west Norfolk where the Queen always felt at home.

Across the rest of the region, churches began to throw open their doors to welcome mourners, and bells began to toll in honour of the Queen.

At St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, people were able to light a candle to remember her.

Norwich Cathedral is also open for prayers, with the Bishop of Norwich among those paying tribute to the monarch.

Nationally, tributes were led by Prime Minister Liz Truss, who said she was "a rock on which modern Britain was built".