Britain faces first day in more than 70 years without its Queen, as country mourns

Tributes have poured in from across the globe for Elizabeth, who died at age 96 after the longest reign in British history, a seven-decade period during which she oversaw the last throes of the British empire, weathered global upheaval and domestic scandal, welcomed 15 prime ministers, and dramatically modernized the monarchy.

The Queen's oldest son, Charles, who has become King Charles III, will return to London on Friday after spending the night at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where his mother died.

As the United Kingdom goes into a period of national mourning, the coming hours and days will see an itinerary of events to honor her life and guide the transition ahead. But her passing leaves a void for the UK at a time of steep challenges, amid a change in political leadership and a looming economic recession.

Though Britons rarely looked to the monarchy for political leadership, Elizabeth has been a steady presence highly esteemed by many throughout decades of significant change that saw Britain transform from a war-weary declining imperial power into a modern multi-cultural state.

World leaders from across the globe issued statements honoring Elizabeth's life, underscoring the global impact she made during her 70-year reign. Elizabeth was head of state not just in the UK but in 14 other Commonwealth realms including Australia and Canada, and was head of the 54-member Commonwealth -- the overwhelming majority of which are former colonial territories of the British Empire.

As the day began on Friday and the UK entered its first full day of mourning, church bells tolled in the Queen's honor across the country and people began to gather outside Buckingham Palace in London. Some shops, including department store chain Selfridges, decided to close as a mark of respect.

Gun salutes will be made in royal parks in her memory, while Parliament is expected to be open for members to pay their tribute.

King Charles III is expected to make a televised address to the nation on Friday afternoon after meeting with UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, and St. Paul's Cathedral in London will hold an evening service to mark the Queen's death at 6 p.m local time, which will be open to the public.

As monarch, Queen Elizabeth is automatically granted a publicly funded state funeral, and details will be released in the coming days.

Arrangements will be made for her to be transported back from Balmoral to London, where she is expected to lie in state for several days before her funeral.

Other formalities to come include a meeting of the Accession Council in an ancient ceremony at the 500-year-old St. James's Palace in London. One part of that meeting will include a formal announcement of the sovereign's death, and a formal proclamation of King Charles III as the new sovereign.

This is a closed meeting but attended by hundreds of dignitaries and members of the Privy Council, which is a panel of royal advisers, and will be followed by the Garter King of Arms -- the person charged with overseeing royal ceremonial duties -- reading the Proclamation from the palace balcony and gun salutes will across the capital.

The King has asked for a period of Royal Mourning to be observed from Friday until seven days after the Queen's funeral, according to a Buckingham Palace statement issued Friday.

Royal Mourning is observed by "members of the royal family, royal household staff and representatives of the royal household on official duties, together with troops committed to ceremonial duties," it added.

Royal residences will also close until after the Queen's funeral, according to the palace.

On Thursday, after her death was announced, crowds of mourners -- some visibly shaken by the news -- braved downpours to gather outside Buckingham Palace, Balmoral and other royal residences.

Many brought flowers to lay at the palace gates and lit candles. Quiet singing of "God Save the Queen" broke out across the crowd in front of Buckingham Palace, where throngs gathered even as night fell.

Those who gathered at Buckingham Palace on Thursday night told CNN of how fearful they felt about the months to come, without the Queen to offer the type of stability she provided to the UK during times of political upheaval. Britain, which is grappling with its new identity since leaving the European Union, has had four prime ministers in a little over six years.

"She's always kept the country together in moments (of national crisis)," said James Cox, 22, from Bristol, southwest England. "It's quite uncertain now."

Kamaljit Singh Kundra, 50, from Coventry, central England, spoke of the sense of "calm" the Queen gave to the UK. "It just felt like we had some sort of hold on the country" while she was on the throne for seven decades.

The outpouring of sympathy included a statement from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who called the Queen "a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change," and another from US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, who said the Queen "defined an era."

In Asia, India declared a day of mourning on September 11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a tweet Friday morning that the Queen would be "remembered as a stalwart of our times," while Chinese leader Xi Jinping called Charles on Friday to express his "deep condolences," Chinese state media said.

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