[Photo: BBC]

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

According to the BBC, with her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this morning.

It also stated that her family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited Fiji in 1977.

The royal couple was in Fiji from February 16-17, 1977 as part of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of her accession to the British throne.

Fiji’s local media had reported that during a banquet dinner held in her honor in Suva, the Queen told the 300 guests present that Fiji was the first Pacific country she had seen in 1953.

The Queen visited Fiji six times during her reign; in 1953, 1963, 1970, 1973, 1977, and 1982.