The nation’s new King has described the death of the Queen, who he called his “beloved Mother”, as the “greatest sadness” for his family.

One of the first acts of the new monarch – whose title has been confirmed by the Prime Minister as King Charles III – was to speak of his grief and highlight the “respect and deep affection” in which the Queen was “so widely held”.

His words came soon after Buckingham Palace confirmed Elizabeth II, 96, the nation’s longest-reigning monarch who served as head of state for more than 70 years, died “peacefully” on Thursday afternoon.

Charles said in a written statement: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother.

“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

He becomes King aged 73 - having been born at Buckingham Palace on November 14 1948, weighing 7lb 6oz.

His birth was the first time in centuries when there was no government minister present to witness the arrival of a future heir to the throne.

In October 1956 he started as a day boy at Hill House School, in London’s fashionable Knightsbridge.

The following year, at the age of eight, he went to Cheam School as a boarder.

Charles was created Prince of Wales on July 26 1958, when he was nine years old.

As a teenager, Charles was educated at Gordonstoun school, near Elgin, Morayshire, in the Scottish Highlands, later telling of his unhappy time there.

In October 1967 he went to Cambridge University to read archaeology and anthropology at Trinity College, later switching to history.

He joined the armed forces in 1971 and was awarded his RAF wings at Cranwell in Lincolnshire a few months later. He went on to join the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and served on a number of ships.

He also went to Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton for helicopter flying training in 1974.

He was given command of his own ship, the minehunter HMS Bronington, for the final 10 months of his active service in the Royal Navy which ended in 1976.

He retired from playing polo in 2005 after 40 years and is an experienced skier as well as an accomplished watercolourist.

The Dorset village of Poundbury was created in the inspiration, and with the keen endorsement, of Charles.

The monarch was approached in 1989, by West Dorset District Council, about extending Dorchester westwards onto the land of the Duchy.

Charles declared he was "determined that Poundbury would break the mould of conventional housing" and so it has been built on a philosophy of new urbanism.

Construction of Poundbury has been ongoing since October of 1993, with an expected completion date of 2025.

Earlier this year, Charles visited Poundbury to open the Great Field Play Area - a playground, fittingly, dubbed 'fit for a king'.