Queen Elizabeth II, who served as the queen of England since June 2, 1953 when she took the throne at just 27 years old, died on Thursday at the age of 96.
She died at Balmoral Castle, her official residence in Scotland, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement.
"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," the palace said in a statement.
She succeeded her father, King George VI, who had held the throne for 16 years, after he died in 1952 following a long illness. Now, the throne goes to her oldest son and heir, Prince Charles. After him, Prince William is next in line to carry out that legacy.
Earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years on the throne, a longer timespan than any previous monarch in England's history. Because of how long her reign was, the Queen attended multiple sporting events around the world during her time on the throne.
In 1957, she sat in the front row during a college football game between Maryland and North Carolina. She also attended Wimbledon four times: notably in 1977 for the women's final when Brit Virginia Wade defeated Betty Stove and in June 2010 to watch Andy Murray, who is from Scotland, beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen. That Murray match was the Queen's first appearance in the royal box at Wimbledon in 33 years.
In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death, play at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, which is being played in Surrey, England, has been suspended for the day.
"Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, play in the BMW PGA Championship has been suspended for the remainder of Thursday," the DP World Tour said in a statement. "All facilities in the Championship Village will close with immediate effect. Further updates and guidance will be provided shortly."
The Premier League is likely going to postpone matches over the weekend, according to reports. The country is expected to enter a period of mourning following Queen Elizabeth II's death, which will likely mean that Friday's Premier League matches will be postponed.
Zurich and Arsenal held a moment of silence at the start of the second half of their Europa League match in order to pay respect to the Queen. Manchester United is also expected to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II prior to their match against Real Sociedad.
The sports world had plenty of its representatives react to the news of her death:
The Premier League is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II. Our thoughts and condolences are with The Royal Family and everyone around the world mourning the loss of Her Majesty. pic.twitter.com/UlaLXEOdke
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 8, 2022
Thoughts & prayers with my Queen tonight,
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) September 8, 2022
may God be with you. 🙏 🏴 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/JpVxQDRCW2
Everyone at NFL UK is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II.
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) September 8, 2022
Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with The Royal Family.
We join all those mourning the loss of Her Majesty. pic.twitter.com/6Ht2662ThV
The National Hockey League mourns the passing and celebrates the remarkable life of Queen Elizabeth II. She held a special place in the hearts of Canadians and, during her 70-year-reign, connected with our game in memorable ways. pic.twitter.com/ppgk5HZzFQ
— NHL (@NHL) September 8, 2022
RIEP❤️ Thank you for always showing me kindness. pic.twitter.com/NyrKQPeTv9
— Linford Christie (@ChristieLinford) September 8, 2022
Rest In Peace 🤍 https://t.co/Nu5i6f0h8Y
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) September 8, 2022
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 8, 2022
Manchester United shares the sorrow of the entire nation following the announcement from Buckingham Palace on the passing of Her Royal Highness The Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/QwLRZ9z4yf
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 8, 2022
Manchester City wishes to express its sincere condolences to The Royal Family following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 8, 2022
Her Majesty’s dedication and service has been exemplary and we join our country and the Commonwealth in mourning her loss. pic.twitter.com/mDTn2Nj1UB
We join the world in sending our condolences to The Royal Family on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) September 8, 2022
On her first visit to the U.S. as queen in 1957, she experienced “American Football” for the first time at a game between @TerpsFootball & @UNCFootball. pic.twitter.com/anvX0zDAyO
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 8, 2022
Along with many of our supporters today, we will be taking time to mourn and reflect on Her Majesty’s incredible life and devoted service.
Zurich and Arsenal began the second-half with a minute's silence to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen, who passed away today aged 96.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 8, 2022
Arsenal are also wearing black arm bands. pic.twitter.com/del3P3av8f
We wish to convey our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to The Royal Family on the sad passing of Her Majesty The Queen.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) September 8, 2022
Following direction from the FA and UEFA, tonight’s fixture against FCSB will take place as planned at London Stadium.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) September 8, 2022
A minute’s silence will be held before kick-off allowing the teams, match officials and everyone in attendance to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen. pic.twitter.com/oaM8JmnSaI
We are saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen, Elizabeth II.
— Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) September 8, 2022
We had the honor of hosting The Queen for a football game on her first state visit to the United States in 1957.
We join those mourning across the world. pic.twitter.com/hm9DSrkHxX
