Carlisle’s Mayor and MP have paid tribute to the Queen following the news of her death.

The Queen died this afternoon aged 96, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

A statement confirming the news 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."

Born on April 21, 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather King George V Queen Elizabeth II went on the be Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

The nation’s longest-reigning monarch reached her historic Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on the throne on February 6.

As the oldest daughter of King George VI, she became Queen following his death in 1952 while on a tour of Australia and New Zealand with her late husband, Prince Philip.

Her coronation took place the following year and she was crowned aged 27.

She has since become one of the most-loved figures around the world travelling more widely than any other monarch during her extraordinary reign.

Mike Mitchelson, the Mayor of Carlisle, said: “As the civic representative for Carlisle, I would like to pass on the city’s sympathy to the royal family.

“Her Majesty was an inspirational leader, and we were lucky to welcome her to Carlisle on a number of occasions.

“Her visits were warmly received and thousands of people came out to see her.

“She will be sadly missed and be widely regarded as a strong and dedicated monarch during her 70-year reign.

“She showed exceptional devotion to her duty, even through challenging times.”

John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, said: “It’s a very sad day for the royal family and for our country.

“The queen has been a fantastic monarch for 70 years, and the vast majority of the population will know her as our queen.

“It’s a passing of an era.”

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