Her Majesty The Queen has died at the age of 96.
Her children and other family members were called to Balmoral earlier today following concerns about her health.
At 6.30pm there was official confirmation that the sovereign had passed away that afternoon.
A statement issued by Buckingham Palace read: "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."
Earlier in the day a statement from Buckingham Palace had said The Queen was under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire and that doctors were “concerned” for her health following a further evaluation.
However, it added that she remained “comfortable”.
As the day progressed, however, it became clear that the situation was increasingly serious until the news finally broke.
In her 96 years The Queen paid several visits to Stirling, including one to Stirling Albion’s stadium at Annfield during her 25th Jubilee year in 1977.
In May 2002 she visited to formally award city status to Stirling as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations.
And in 2007 she braved the rain to help the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders mark 60 years of Her Majesty being their Colonel-in-Chief.
By then it was part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The area again rolled out the red carpet in July 2011 when the Queen gave the royal seal of approval to two major local projects.
Accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, she unveiled a plaque at the new £300 million Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert where she was given a tour and met staff and patients.
Her Majesty then went on to view the newly refurbished James V Palace at Stirling Castle and attended a private lunch after locals gave her a warm welcome on the castle esplanade.
In July 2017 she was once again welcomed to Stirling Castle in what was one of the last official outings of her late husband HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
The occasion was the 70th anniversary of her appointment in 1947 as Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, when she was then Princess Elizabeth.
Following a thanksgiving service in the Chapel Royal, with music from the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh met supporters and staff involved in the redevelopment of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum before attending a private lunch.
She returned in June 2021 to officially open the museum following its £4.5million transformation.
When plans to develop the museum as a premier attraction within the castle were first unveiled in October 2016 during a visit HRH Prince William, it was said his grandmother took a personal interest in what is happening with the Argylls, her oldest regiment.
Colonel AK Miller said: “She probably knows more about this regiment than anyone.”
- Let us hear your stories and experiences of meeting HM The Queen over the last 70 years. Simply send details to news@stirlingobserver.co.uk.
