Buckingham Palace crowds turns to silence at news of Queen's death then breaks out into God Save The King

In a statement from its official Twitter account, the Royal Family said the 96-year-old died peacefully at her home in Balmoral, Scotland this afternoon.

It read: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

Following the announcement, thousands of mourners gathered outside the gates of Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to the monarch who reigned for 70 years.

As silence fell among the crowd, people burst into song, performing an emotionally-charged rendition of 'God Save The King'.

Footage shared on social media shows people in tears as they sing.

In a short statement, the 73-year-old praised his mother for her service to the country.

He said: "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

"During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held."

The tragic news came several hours after Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen had been placed under medical supervision due to concerns over her health.

A statement from the Palace said she was 'comfortable'.

It read: "Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral."

At the time, no further information about her condition was revealed.

However, Clarence House said The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall had travelled to Balmoral to be with the Queen, and that the Duke of Cambridge was also travelling up.