hello and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm becky anderson live at buckingham palace in london with cnn's special coverage of the death of queen elizabeth ii.

in britain there is tremendous sadness over the queen's sudden death which is also being felt by countless people across the commonwealth. because for the first time in seven decades, the uk and 14 other realms are without their monarch. [ bells toll ] in sydney, australia, church bells rang out 96 times, once for each year of queen elizabeth's life. and 96 rounds were fired by members of the new zealand army along the waterfront of the capital wellington. also marking the passing of her majesty. and here at buckingham palace, people have been coming to pay their respects, to share their memories, and just to be part of what is a moment in time. the queen died at her beloved

balmoral retreat, mourners drops off flowers at the gates. in the coming hours we're expecting to hear from the new king, charles iii, who will address this nation. it is too soon to know the date of his coronation. reporters are though closely monitoring the next steps as the nation now goes in to a period of mourning. nic robertson is this scotland and anna stewart is here behind me at buckingham palace where crowds are beginning to grow as they come to pay their respects. n nic, let start with the in scotland where the queen passed away peacefully yesterday after 70 years of service, 70 years of highs. and of course many lows.

>> reporter: yes, and balmoral was perhaps the place where she could recover from some of thos where her two grandsons, prince william and prince harry, learned of the news of the death of their mother, tragic news. and this was a place where they could be away from the world and, if you will, kept away from the pain that the nation was beginning to suffer. but of course it was coming back to london that the queen brought the family back into engaging with the country's sorrow and passion and loss over princess diana. and of course won the support of the nation because she understood the nation's suffering and her family shared it as well. so balmoral has played a huge role in the lives of the royals and the queen as well. very family figure here in

scotland. she was too ill to attend the highland games just down the road from balmoral. prince thonow king charles of course stepped into attend those highland games. but the queen, a very familiar visitor spending much of her summers here in scotland and of course this is where her family came over the past -- over the past day or so. and gathered for the awful news that was shared with the nation last night. we've been talking to people here this morning about how they feel about the passing of the queen. everyone, everyone, people think of scotland as a nation that wants to go separate from the united kingdom, that wants its independence. but these are people here in this city this morning that we spoke to, every man and woman all said that they were saddened that they missed already the queen, that they were at a loss.

this is what they told us. >> i was always told by my parents that sometimes when you are with someone that some people die of a broken heart. so i think it has a lot do with obviously passing away this year. >> we're from canada and she was our queen too and it will be devastating. it is like losing your mum. >> it is a very sad occasion. it will be a big change for everyone. but, you know, life just goes on. >> reporter: people we were talking to here literally coming out to start their job, whether they were bakers or street cleaners or construction workers, all tourists on holiday here, getting their nhead aroun the news that the whole country is wrapping its sorrow around.

but they are awakening to that mourning. and scotland no different in this regard. let's get to you anna stewart who is just in front of the gates here at buckingham palace of those who he come here to pay their respects. and share their memories and their thoughts. anna, what have you been hearing? >> reporter: it is a huge depth of feeling for this loss here, becky. and it is interesting, a number of people have told me that it feels like a member of their family have passed, a grandmother, someone they knew and loved. for some people the queen marked important periods of their life and they remember each jubilee, they remember terrible tragic moments like the death of the queen mother or prince philip and they remember going through these moments with the queen. and also definitely a sense of

the end of an era. the end of a period of stability. of course the vast majority of people in the uk and around the world have never known another british monarch. and i just want to show you, we've moved away from the gates of buckingham palace to allow more people to be able to lay flowers and messages down by the gates of buckingham palace and i expect that we'll see plenty of this in the days to come. and one royal fan who i've met here today, maineva, you have been staring at the balcony and you've been here for so many events and it must feel quite haunting to know that you'll never see her majesty there again. >> i can't explain to you how i feel. i feel as though someone close in my family has passed. that is how close i hold the royal family in my heart. i've traveled for many years, i've done what i can to get a glimpse of the royal family especially the queen.

i've never managed to get close to her, but i've always been at a distance where i could take good photos of her on the balcony wave, her birthdays or jubilees, seeing the car. it hasn't sunk in temp. i feel like i'm in a daze, like i'll wake up. i'm beyond 60 years old now and she was -- 70 years. i mean, sorry, i just can't talk. >> reporter: for our audience, you and i have been here for so many different events. and it is always amazing how many people come together to be here. why is it so important for people to pay their respects here at a royal residence even though her majesty, of course, died in scotland in why are people here today? >> because this is the heart of the royal family. this is where we know the royal

family. for many years i've always come here. i've been to windsor too, but this is the birth to me of the royal family. i'm so sorry. so sorry. >> reporter: thanks for expressing your grief. we're so sorry for your life. >> my heart is broken, you know. >> reporter: i think you speak for a nation. >> we'll miss her. she brought so many of us together. i've made so many friends on these gatherings. she gave her word that she would serve us to the end and she did. she served us to the end. i'm proud to say i'm british. i really am. i'm so sorry. >> reporter: thank you so much for speaking to us. becky, this is the depth of feeling and people are so grateful as you can hear there

that the queen gave her whole life to public duty. that speech she gave on her 21st birthday, whether her life be short or long, she would dedicated to the commonwealth and she did just that and people here hugely grateful and hugely sad for her loss. >> absolutely. anna, thank you. elizabeth norton is historian and archaeologist and author of several books on the monarchy. and joining us today. people talking about how they feel like they lost a mumg or grandmother, tony blair said we lost a matriarch. king charles iii must now unite this country at a moment of great unease. he has been primed for this all of his life, but this is a

different era. queen elizabeth ii defined what we now consider the modern era for britain. >> she did. and i think that he has a very difficult task ahead of him because she is era defining. and she has become grandmother of the nation if you like. she has become hugely popular. she's always been very popular, but in the past few decades, the queen is undoubtedly everybody's favorite member of the royal family. people really can't perceive britain without the queen. she almost personifies the nation. >> but there are been times over over those 70 years when people here and in nations where people

have said they can conceive times without the monarchy. there have been some pretty low times for the british royal family. >> there has indeed. you can't have 70 years without some low points. but there have been some very low points particularly the 1990s. >> of course, diana in 1997. >> absolutely. the death of princess diana, the divorce of the queen's children which hits her hard personally. of course the father came to the throne through a divorce scandal when his brother wanted to marry a twice divorced woman. so these hit the queen very hard. particularly in the days following princess diana's death, and she was at a low point of popularity and people were thinking perhaps does the monarchy work for us.

>> and it is up to this royal family now to kind of put a new marker down to a certain extent. do you believe that will be through the now king charles iii or through for example his sons, heir to the throne now of course is prince william, or indeed through for example meghan and harry, the duke and duchess of sussex? how will this play out now? >> so king charles has obviously served a very long apprenticeship and his popularity has ebbed and flowed. it certainly has never been at the level that his mother's has been. so he does have a hard task ahead of him. he is perhaps not as charismatic as certainly the queen was when she came to the throne.

which is another difficulty for him. i think that he needs to look toward the future and present himself as forward looking. and of course i think part of that is prince william, prince william's children who started a new school this week. i think harry and meghan is a difficulty that he will have to work through and hopefully work through as a family in the next few weeks. harry is now the son of the reigning monarch. and of course he left his royal duties behind. so it remains to be seen how they can find a place for him. >> as a historian, when you look back through the queen's life, what would you mark out as the defining moments. >> of course it is seven decades. we look at her right back at the start when she is walking down the airplane steps, she's left britain as a princess and come back from kenya as a queen.

she looks very alone. but there is something about her and certainly winston churchill her first prime minister noted this. he was very concerned about the queen becoming queen. he thought she was too young, too shy, too in-experienced. and he very quickly changed his mind. so i think this iconic young queen is something that we'll keep coming back to once we think about her legacy. because of course we're used to seeing the elderly queen, but i think that we'll start looking backwards more in the early years of her reign. >> 15 british prime ministers, 14 u.s. presidents, seven popes. this is quite a record. and queen elizabeth passing away peacefully yesterday. elizabeth norton, thank you very much indeed. our special coverage continues after this short break with a look at the queen's last public appearance.

plus reaction to her passing from the new british prime minister. that after this. ♪ god save the queen ♪

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this just into cnn. a statement from buckingham pa palace. king charles iii has asked for a period of royal mourning to be observed from today up 7 days after the queen's funeral. royal residencies will close until after the funeral. royal salutes will be fired to today. >> we're all devastated by the news that we have just heard from balmoral. the death of her majesty the queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world. queen elizabeth ii was the rock on which modern britain was built. our country has grown and

flourished under her reign. >> the new british prime minister liz truss paying tribute to queen elizabeth ii at number 10 downing street thursday. truss met with the queen on tuesday at balmoral, the last time her majesty was seen in public. and you can see in these pictures that she does look frail, but she greeted the new conservative party leader with a wide smile. truss is the 15th prime minister appointed by queen elizabeth. let's bring in cnn's nina dos santos live this hour outside 10 downing street. nina, what can we expect to hear from the new prime minister now and going forward? >> reporter: well, this is a

period to bring the country together and of course remember the country up until recently has been galvanized by wars inside the conservative party that has brought liz truss to party, but this is not the moment to revisit any of that, this is the moment that the country is expecting leadership from government and also there is a very somber mood here on downing street as you can expect. as we've seen the last few minutes, new members of the liz truss government and cabinet arriving in a somber mood, all dressed in black. no words for the press here as you'd expect. just quiet poignant moments. and of course the union flag above downing street and all official buildings is flying at half-mast as you'd expect and will be for the next several days as the whole country and government observes that period of mourning that you just

mentioned. and the business of government is essentially suspended for the moment except for the bare essentials. and what we're expecting is parliament to have a special session later on today where lawmakers both on the house of commons but also the house of lords will have a chance from midday for ten hours there after to pay their tribute to this long-serving and hugely impactful monarch of the elizabethan era as liz truss mentioned. truss has already spoken to the new king, king charles iii, and it is expected that later on perhaps even today as stuas soos practically possibly to have her first audience with the monarch, but she will have to develop her relationship over the next two years that is remaining of her tenure here at number 10 downing street before an election has to be called. those weekly audiences, such a

crucial part of how this country is governed between head of government and also head of state. about becky. >> nina dos santos, thank you very much. leaders in the middle east reacting to the queen's passing. jordan's queen said that the late monarch embodied the traits of a faithful and devoted sovereign. saudi arabia king called her a model of leadership that will be immortalized in history and that his country appreciated her efforts to strengthen their bilateral relationship. and in iraq, the prime minister tweeted queen elizabeth was respected and cherished the world over. he also extended his condolences to king charles. and in the uae, i extend my sincere condolences.

her majesty was a close friend of the uae and a beloved and respected leader whose long reign was characterized by dignity, compassion and tireless commitment to serving her community. our coverage of queen elizabeth's death continues after a short break. just ahead, the queen and prince philip, an incredible love story that endured all of the pressures and demands of the modern monarchy. stay with us. ♪ do you have a a life insurance policy you no longer need? now you can sell your policy - even a term policy - for an immediate cash payment. we thoht we had planned carefully r our

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welcome back. i'm becky anderson with our continuing coverage of the death of queen elizabeth ii. we are here outside buckingham palace. king charles iii has asked for a period of royal mourning to be observed today until seven days after the funeral. a funeral date has not yet been confirmed. for many britons, the death of queen elizabeth is deeply personal, like losing a member of one's own family. for 70 years she toiled tirelessly on the commonwealth's behalf and she will be sorely missed by many. and a promise she made on her 21st birthday five years before becoming queen. have a listen. >> my whole life, whether it be

long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. >> during her decades on the lone, queen elizabeth had one steadfast companion to share all of what were the ups and downs of the modern british royalty, and that her was her late husband prince philip who she once called her constant strength and guide. she said his death last year left a huge void in her life. a feeling many britons are sharing today. max foster looks back at what was their royal romance. >> reporter: it was a love affair that lasted more than seven decades. as queen elizabeth celebrated jubilee after jubilee, went on to become the longest serving british monarch in history, philip was always by her side.

a charildhood companion says it was no doubt a marriage based on love. >> i think she fell in love when she was 13. he was good looking. he was sort of a viking god. she never looked at anybody else ever. >> reporter: the couple married in westminster in 1947 and from that moment organization prince philip was an almost constant presence at the queen's side. if this companionship came at a personal price, it was one he was prepared to pay. >> just to have been there all the time behind her and really to have sacrificed his life. he did it too. sacrificed his life. because i'm sure he would have loved to have gone on in the navy and really made a career of that. so he sacrificed too. and so i think it has made for a wonderful solid marriage. >> reporter: the queen and

prince philip met before the second world war when he was a young naval cadet. >> his number one job from the word go has been to, quote, support the queen. and it has just been one of the great royal romances i think of history. people talk about victoria. and i have no doubt that in years to come people will talk about elizabeth and philip in the same way. >> reporter: netflix hit series "the crown" captivated viewers worldwide with its portrayal of the young couple's early romance. ensuring their place in popular culture for generations to come. the shy teenager and the handsome prince. as parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, they would always remain by each other's side as long as they were together. max foster, cnn, london.

a senior lecturer in history is joining me now live from cambridge in england. and there is nowhere where the queen was revered more than the uae where i'm usually based. the leader and prime minister there both releasing statements extending their sincere condolences to the family, suggesting that her majesty was a close friend and beloved and respected leader, her incredible lifetime of service and duty to the uk is unparalleled in our modern world. and there are parts of the world where the royal family is perhaps loved more than others. and certainly that is clear as we consider what that family will be and what they will represent under a new king charles iii. before we talk about what is to come, let's just consider, if

you will, the legacy of queen elizabeth ii. >> well, it could be many facetted really. what you just said is really important. perhaps a lot of people in britain don't realize just how international a figure she was. and that the very deep sense of connection and affection which you find absolutely everywhere within the united kingdom is also felt around the world in commonwealth countries, in european countries, in the united states. as you say, you know, in the middle east and i think a lot of people, a lot of british people might be surprised at just how strong that feeling is and that sort of sense of connection with her. now, that is unusual. i can't really think of not just any other monarch, but many statesmen and states demwomen w

can match that. you have to get back to kennedy. and of course the way in which the monarchy has not just survived but changed. it survived because it has changed. and it is light years away from the sort of monarchy that she inherited. and above all, i think that sense of stability which she's brought above the political throne and that is key to the importance of the monarchy for the british people. and that is very important legacy that she hands on. >> given her appeal on the world stage mostly, what does her passing mean for this royal family and for britain going forward? >> it is the next phase, isn't it. king charles inherits a family which has in fact been sort of reshaped. of course he played a part in that reshaping the last few

years. there have been serious problems and indeed there remain some serious problems. of course what they have been doing is narrowing it down to the direct line of succession through himself and prince william and prince george. that sort of line of success basically saying this is the royal family rather from the much wider one which was characteristic of much of the queen's reign. so that is a change in emphasis and a change in sort of outlook as you go forward. and thenre is the whole issue of the relationship between the monarch and issues. political but with a small p. because the queen was very, very good at keeping her views to herself and maintaining the very strict constitutional propriety that says that the monarch should not get involved in the detail of politics certainly not publicly. as prince, king charles of course spoke often on particular issues. but of course what you have to

recognize is that he was ahead of the game in many of them, most notably in environmental concerns which are much more central than they were when he was first talking about them. so that is a change in emphasis inevitably because he's had so much longer waiting for the throne unlike the queen. so there will be changes. and of course looking forward now that prince william is the heir to the throne, that sort of millennial generation which he very much represents again will have a sort of voice at the heart of the monarchy in the way that i suppose it hasn't because it has been further out from the center. >> sean lang, thank you very much indeed for your perspective. as britain mourns the queen, so too do many people, perhaps not everybody, but many people in the commonwealth countries around the world. ahead we'll go live to australia, to india and to kenya for you for reaction there to

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i'm kim brunhuber with the continuing coverage of the passing of queen elizabeth ii. people are mourning the loss of the only british monarch many have ever known. new zealand is one of 50 members of the commonwealth of nations and people around the commonwealth are honoring the queen's memory. >> her service was great. and she made it so peen joined t people joined the commonwealth

instead of leaving. >> and we have reporters in several commonwealth nations in reaction to the queen's death. angus watson is in sydney. and angus, even though there is a strong and growing movement to replace the english monarch as head of state, australia is one of the original members and for many there the emotional ties with the monarchy and the queen go deep. >> reporter: heart. the news of the queen's passing this morning was met by shock and sadness across australia. tributes were led by the prime minister who lauded the queen and the dedication that she had to all commonwealth countries. but it is a complicated relationship that australia has with the british crown. in 1999, there was referendum here where australians were asked to vote as to whether they would like to keep the british

monarch as head of state here or whether an australian should be put in that position. overwhelmingly australians voted to keep the queen. however there has been lively political conversation ever since and there will be a lively political conversation now about whether it is time after the reign of queen elizabeth to again talk about making an australian the leader. the prime minister is of that opinion that australia should be a republic, but he did lead tributes this morning. and here is some of what he had to there is comfort to be found in her own words, grief is the price we pay for love. this is a loss we feel deeply in australia. queen elizabeth ii is the only reigning mondayarch most of us e known and the only one to ever visit australia.

>> reporter: now, albanese talking about the first australian head of state to step foot on these shores. she did so 16 times. the first visit in 1954 and she was greeted by some 70% of the population that came out across 57 towns and cities that she visited in order to get a glimpse of her majesty the queen. that life will be celebrated as well as mourned by australians and those are mourning and celebration events already happening. sydney opera house behind me will be lit up in the next few hours to honor the life of queen elizabeth ii. >> and i want to go to larry madowo now. it is almost impossible to discuss the monarchy in africa without talking about the dark history of british colonialism. so how is she being remembered

there in that former british colony? >> reporter: kim, the queen's death is a consequential event. i'll show you two newspapers reporting on death with multiple pages of coverage and pictures and tributes. we've seen a lot of reaction to the queen's death across the african continent. it is a mixed bag. for instance a fairytale often told about a young elizabeth who went up the tree aspirin says and came down a queen oafter sh learned that her dad had died. but they brutally cracked down

on comp and some were tortured and some were killed. never a full accounting of that and that is part of the criticism of the atrocities committed in her name that many africans feel she never fully acknowledged or apologized for. but you see for instance a statement from the south african opposition party that is highly critical, and i'll read some of it for you, we do not mourn the death of elizabeth because to us her death is a reminder of a tremendous tragic period in this country in africa's history. during her reign she never once acknowledged the atrocities that her family committed. may her and her family get what is deserved. but on the other side, people who are critical of queen elizabeth and the colonial enterprise say when is it ever a

good time to address that period. but you see many african presidents and prime ministers paying global tributes, like this one, my family and i have learned with immense sadness of the passing of queen elizabeth and the end of her unique and wonderful year 70 year reign. she was known to 90% of our population. many also criticized the new gearian president for ignoring the dark past in nigeria. but you see a lot of people finding common ground in the opposition to the atrocities committed by the british colonial empire in their countries. >> and similarly fraught relationship between the monarchy and india. so take us through queen elizabeth's relationship with the country and how she is being remembered there now.

>> reporter: i'd agree with both the other correspondents here. it is a complicated history even for india and the british empire really given the bloody partition that india and pakistan witnessed way back in 1947. queen elizabeth made three state visits to india, but the first of the three was the most significant and here is why. it is because it came straight after she ascended to the throne after her father died. he was the last emperor of india. and so 1961, she visited india. she was the chief guest along with her husband for the republic day parade and then two more state visits after. but it has been fraught really because of the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives during the india/pakistan partition. and families still speak of it. india just commemorated its 75th independence day and we spoke to people who had run from the pakistan side into india and from the india side to pakistan and they still remember the massacres that took place and they feel that the british empire had a huge role to play.

but coming back to the statements that are being made, tributes that have been paid here from india, in terms of the media, the newspapers have been report being her death. and saying britain loses its longest reigning monarch. and the express says that elizabeth who changing the world for decades. and the times of india says charles king at 73. the india prime minister has also paid tribute. he did write a couple statements on twitter where he paid tribute to the queen. he mentioned that he visited uk twice where he had met the queen in person. also shown him a gift gandhi had given her for her wedding and that is something that she shared with the prime minister that he mentioned in a tweet. he goes on to talk about how she will always be remembered as a stalwart of our times. so rich tribute being paid by

the indian prime minister to queen elizabeth after her death. but of course it remains to be a complicated history between britain and india. >> interesting perspectives from around the world there. thank you all so much. and we'll be right back. it's time for the biggest sale of the year, on the sleep number 360 smart bed. snoring? it can gently raise your partner's head to help. our smart sleepers get 28 minutes more restful sleeeep per night. all smart beds are on sale. save 50% on n the sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed. ends mondaday.

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some of british music's most notable figures are paying tribute to the queen. mick jagger tweeting for my whole life her majesty has always been there. i remember her as a beautiful young lady, the much beloved grandmother of the nation. my deepest sympathies are with the royal family. paul mccartney tweeting god bless queen elizabeth, may she rest in peace. long live the king. and harry styles honoring the queen during a concert in new york on thursday.

>> please join me in a round of applause for 70 years of se service. >> shes bo was a born during a of extreme hardship, and witnessing how conflict could tear nations apart, she defined a modern era for britain as its empire collapsed. it wasn't always easy, but through it all, queen elizabeth ii was steadfast in her commitment to serving this country, its people, and those around the world where she was head of state. and for that reason, there is a profound sense of loss for so many as they anticipate a new era under her son king charles iii. i'm becky anderson outside

buckingham palace. thank you for joining me here on cnn newsroom. cnn's special coverage of the death of queen elizabeth continues after this. ♪ shipstation saves us so much time it makes it really easy and seamless pick an order print everything you need slap the label on ito the box and it's ready to go our cost for shipping, were cut in half just like that go to shipstation/tv and get 2 months free

good morning, everyone, to our viewers in the united states and around the world. it is friday, september 9, i'm don lemon live in london. brianna keilar is joining me from washington. john berman is in new york. this is cnn specia