♪ tonight, an outpouring of emotion. a nation in mourning. >> shocked. i can't believe it. i'm gutted. absolutely gutted. >> i was just compelled to come here. she just means so much to this country. >> the reign of queen elizabeth is over. but after 70 years on the throne, her legacy looms large. >> institutions must continue to evolve if they are to provide effective beacons of trust and unity to succeeding generations. >> dutiful until the end. welcoming her 15th prime minister, liz truss, just days before her death. now a new era in britain. the rule of king charles iii begins. "nightline," "remembering queen elizabeth," will be right back.

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with flex alerts, the power is ours. learn more at powersaverrewards.org. you might already know that prop 27 taxes and regulates online sports betting to fund real solutions to the homelessness crisis. so how will that new revenue be spent? new housing units in all 58 counties, including: permanent supportive housing, tiny homes communities, project roomkey supportive hotel units... and intensive mental health and addiction treatment. in short, 27 means getting people off the streets and into housing. yes on 27. ♪ >> good evening. thank you for joining us. on this day a good portion of the world stood still with the announcement queen elizabeth was dead. tonight her family, her nation,

in mourning. when the 96-year-old took her last breath today, a country lost its queen, 15 nations their monarch, and the united states a revered and loyal ally. abc's james longman joins us from london with the very latest. james? >> reporter: good evening, byron. tonight at buckingham palace, still hundreds people are gathering outside the palace to say good-bye. i would describe the mood as quietly contemplative. people are kind of shuffling past, wanting to be here, to say good-bye to this queen, 80% of britons have only known one monarch, it is queen elizabeth. many want to catch a glimpse of the proclamation put up on the gates, simply that she had died at balmoral and the king and queen consort will return here tomorrow. for the mourning and outpouring of grief there will be, because there was a very strong connection between queen elizabeth and her people. she would have liked the simplicity of that proclamation that was put on the gates there. tomorrow, for the very first time, britons will hear from their new king, king charles

iii. byron? >> thank, james. queen elizabeth was just 25 years old when she ascended to the throne. she died upholding a promise she made as a young princess, that all of her life would be devoted to service. for over 70 years, she devoted her life to her country, steadfast through triumph and tragedy. queen elizabeth ii died peacefully at her scottish castle, balmoral. she was 96 years old. she leaves behind her family, a nation, and much of the world in mourning. >> shocked. i can't believe it. i'm gutted. absolutely gutted. >> it shocks me. i felt a shiver go down my spine. >> reporter: the notice of her death posted on the gates of buckingham palace. it was a day the country has long dreaded. >> you kind of always knew it was coming, but when it happens, it's sad. >> reporter: some of the crowds gathering outside buckingham palace in the rain leaving flowers at the gates. >> i was compelled to come here. she just means so much to this

country. >> reporter: the flag lowered to half staff. as britain paused, rainbows stretched across the sky. the monarch has been a constant presence in the lives of millions, a living part of history. her face on money in great britain. across the commonwealth, the national anthem of the united kingdom sung in her honor, "god save the queen." ♪ god save the queen ♪ >> i think the same shock and sense of disbelief that we feel today will still be here for some time. even people who know the queen, i think many people felt they had a personal connection with her. >> she was one of my favorite people in the world and i will miss her so. >> reporter: tributes to the queen pouring in from world leaders, the pope, and all the living former presidents she met with. including donald trump, barack obama, and bill clinton. president biden signing the condolence book at the british embassy in washington. at 73, her majesty's eldest son,

now king charles iii, released a statement saying, "the death of my beloved mother, her majesty the queen, is a moment of the grast sadness for me and all members of our family. we mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother." >> i think it's that sense of duty, of being a public servant for all of that time, to put herself second, to put the people and her family and her country first. >> reporter: the announcement of the queen's death came just hours after the palace released a rare statement saying doctors were, quote, concerned for her majesty's health. her family racing to the matriarch's side. charles arriving first by helicopter. other members of the royal family flying into a foggy aberdeen airport in scotland. prince william spotted driving his uncles, andrew and edward, and prince edward's wife sophie, to the castle. after the official announcement, prince harry arrived alone. >> this is a moment of personal grief.

the family, their mother, their grandmother, their great grandmother. also, they are very aware of their public positions at a time like this and the roles they will play in this plan that is going to be executed, and they all have their part to play in that as well. >> reporter: even to the end, the queen was committed to performing her duties. just two days ago in the queen's last official photos inviting great britain's new prime minister, liz truss, to form a government, her 15th time bestowing such an honor. >> it's particularly poignant that she was able to do what she wanted, which was to fulfill her duties right up until the end. that is exactly how she wanted it to be. >> 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. >> reporter: the queen celebrating 70 years on the throne this past summer at the platinum jubilee. charles expressing gratitude on behalf of the british people.

>> your majesty, mummy -- [ cheers and applause ] the scale of this evening's celebration and the outpouring of warmth and affection over this whole jubilee weekend is our way of saying thank you. >> reporter: at her jubilee the queen sat down for tea with british icon paddington bear. >> perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich? i always keep one for emergencies. >> so do i. i keep mine in here. >> oh! >> for later. >> reporter: today paddington tweeting, "thank you, ma'am, for everything." she was born in 1926 and never expected to become queen. as a little girl, she couldn't pronounce her own name, calling herself lilibet. then her uncle, the playboy,

king edward viii, abdicated the throne to marry an american divorcee. her father was left to ascend as king george vi and the young elizabeth was suddenly next in line for the throne. >> i declare before you all with my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. >> reporter: during world war ii, the princess did her duty. she was a driver and mechanic on the home front. and she fell in love in those years to a handsome prince, the swashbuckling navy lieutenant, philip mountbatten. >> i take though, philip, to my wedded husband -- >> reporter: they married in 1947. in 1952, the young couple was on a royal trip to kenya. they climbed up into a treehouse where they would spend the night. but overnight her father died. when she came down the next morning, she was queen. at age 25.

her coronation was an international sensation. the first one ever televised. queen elizabeth reigned through 14 american presidents, dancing with gerald ford, watching a ball game with george h.w. bush, even giving first lady michelle obama a quick hug. the years brought their ups and downs. the wedding of prince charles and diana at first seemed to be a highlight. but when that marriage collapsed so scandalously, many britons began to doubt the relevance of the monarchy itself. in1997 when diana was killed in a car crash in paris, elizabeth stayed in scotland with her family. as waves of grief rolled over britain, the queen was seen by some as unsympathetic and public anger at the royal family reached a fever pitch. then she returned to join her people in mourning. >> what i say to you now as your queen and as a grandmother, i say from my heart. first, i want to pay tribute to diana myself.

she was an exceptional and gifted human being. >> reporter: as monarch, elizabeth maintained tradition, yet moved just enough with the times. >> good evening. >> good evening, your majesty. >> reporter: who could forget her appearance alongside 007, daniel craig, at the london olympics in 2012. she was a woman with quirks and passions, delighting in driving herself, raising her numerous corgis. a love of horses and racing. and while she prized dignity and embodied the british stiff upper lip, her family knew a different side. >> if you do ever have problems, you can share them with her and she will listen and she will try and help. but otherwise, she sort of lets you get on with your own life and carve your own path. >> reporter: toward the end of her life as covid ravaged the globe, she showed that compassion to the british people. >> we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. we will be with our friends

again. we will be with our families again. we will meet again. >> reporter: but perhaps her greatest loss, in 2021, the rock of her own life, her husband, prince philip, died. her closest confidant and adviser. their marriage was an enduring partnership. a sentiment she shared on her 50th wedding anniversary. >> all too often, i fear prince philip has had to listen to me speaking. but he has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years. >> reporter: 73 years of marriage spent side by side. at his funeral, the poignant images of the queen. due to covid protocols, seated alone. now as her son, king charles, begins his reign, a nation will mourn their queen. after ten days, she will be laid to rest privately on the grounds of windsor castle, next to her beloved husband, prince philip. tonight the nation and world remembering what the queen said all those years ago.

>> i shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone, unless you join in it with me. god help me to make good my vow, and god bless all of you who are willing to share in it. coming up, our royal roundtable and the reactions to the death of queen elizabeth. and what's ahead for king charles. now i'm down with rybelsus®. son tc: mom's a1c is down with rybelsus®. song: a1c down with rybelsus® anncr vo: in a clinical study, once-daily rybelsus® significantly lowered a1c better than the leading branded pill. anncr vo: rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. anncr vo: don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. anncr vo: stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. anncr vo: serious side effects may include pancreatitis.

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♪ britain wakes up this morning with a new sovereign, king charles iii, after 70 years with queen elizabeth, the only monarch most of the country has ever known.

earlier i spoke with abc's royal contributors imogen lloyd webber, emmy award-winning journalist, and omid scovy, coauthor of "finding freedom: harry and meghan and the making of the modern royal family." imogen, how much of an adjustment will this be in the uk and beyond? >> it's a seismic shift for the uk. although on some levels, of course, this news was expected. the queen was 96. we saw during the jubilee that she couldn't make every single event. we've been hearing of her illnesses, of her mobility issues. still, when the moment came, it was shocking. i think you're seeing the outpouring of grief at buckingham palace, it was palpable. i think for all brits around the world, it was palpable. the queen is figurehead to one-third of the world, 2.5 billion people. this really sa moment we're going to have to get used to, get to grips with. she's part of the fabric of our lives, she'll on the banknotes in the uk, on every single

stamp. there's a lot we'll have to get used to with king charles iii and the post-elizabethan age. >> we like to bring into the conversation, the queen was the matriarch, the glue of her family. what's next for the royals? what do we make of prince harry arriving alone? >> what's next, of course, is king charles iii. i'm getting used to saying that. but of course, that is very much the beginning of a new chapter for the windsor monarchy. that began the moment the queen passed away. of course today, we're certainly on day one, that's a moment that the family get to be together and mourn privately. but of course, charles will step out in front of the public, we'll see him tour the uk later this week. and that will be when he meets the people as the king. i think that will be a real test for him to see how he leads the nation through this moment of grief. balmoral is, of course, a very special place for the family.

it's where they've gathered for many summers. the grandkids, the great grandkids, the queen's children. it holds a lot of memories. it's a special place for them. i think poignant that they're all there remembering the life of the queen. as you say, it's also where prince harry came. harry had conveniently been in the uk for a different reason. he was here carrying out engagements with one of his charities. and he happened to be here during that moment. i would imagine he was very relieved that he wasn't overseas when that happened, because he was able to immediately be by the side of not just his father but his family, extended family as well. >> imogen, the royal family has been in turmoil with changes both inside the family, a new generation of people in the uk wanting them to modernize. for king charles iii, he replaces his mother, who was incredibly popular. him, not so much. should we expect any big changes now? >> prince charles has always talked about the fact that he

wants a slimmed-down monarchy, and due to harry and meghan, obviously moving to the united states, the prince andrew issues, there very much now is a slimmed-down monarchy. we shall see. charles is the best-prepared heir to the throne and now king in history. he's 73 years old. he now has to become grandfather to the nation. he knows the shoes that he's stepping into. he knows he has to step up. he will become, on some levels, consoler-in-chief now. and we shall see how he does. but expect to see him tour the uk. you'll start seeing more members of the royal family console us all after they've had this personal, private moment together tonight. >> explain what was it about this 96-year-old woman that generations of brits and people around the world were so fond of, valued so much? >> i think everyone saw her as a

sort of pillar or the backbone of this country. she was an apolitical figure. we rarely knew her opinions or thoughts on anything. and that was -- had a very unifying quality to it, especially at times when we've been very divided. you only need to look at recent changes within our own government. we, of course, have seen a new prime minister. it was the queen's presence during that moment that i think made it perhaps a little less scary for people. we of course saw her lead us into the first lockdown for the covid-19 pandemic. and again, it's the queen's presence during those difficult times that i think is the sort of balm that we all need. i think that's the thing people are starting to realize isn't there. that, of course, is going to be charles' biggest challenge in this new role. it's not something that can be emulated very easily. those are big shoes to fill. >> imogen, final question to you. for most families, when the

patriarch or matriarch passes, that either is an opportunity for the family to splinter or to bond, to deepen their bonds. what should we expect from this family? >> i think prince charles at 73 obviously wants both his sons at his side. they are incredibly important pillars to him. so that will be the aim. and charles will be aware that it is his job now to become the symbol of national unity, identity, and pride. and he will need all the help from his family that he can get, because it's a very, very, very tough act to follow. >> indeed. thank you both for your time. again, we're grateful for the day you spent with us at abc. we'll talk to you down the road. >> thank you. >> thanks. >> we'll be right back with the final thought. way to clean everyday dishes. s dawn's fastest t

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♪ and finally tonight, it was queen elizabeth who said, "giant leaps often start with small steps." her journey is over. the next steps belong to her son, king charles iii. that's "nightline" for this evening. my colleague, juju chang, will anchor a special edition of "nightline" from london tomorrow night. thanks for the company, america. good night.