King Charles to address a nation shaken by death of queen

Britain's King Charles will on Friday address a grieving nation following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth after seven decades on the throne, as a period of national mourning began for the only monarch most Britons ever knew.

Charles, who raced to be by the side of the queen at her Scottish home on Thursday, was heading back to London with his wife Camilla, now Queen Consort, before meeting the prime minister and making a televised statement at about 1700 GMT.

The death of the queen, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and a towering presence on the world stage for 70 years, has drawn condolences from around the world.

Waking up to their first day without a woman once described by her grandson Harry as "the nation's grandmother", thousands gathered again outside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle to lay flowers and take photos of the growing memorials.