Both British houses of Parliament are meeting Friday for members to pay tribute to the queen in a special session of condolence.

Politics in both Houses will be on hold for a period of mourning.

"For the 70 glorious years of her reign, our queen was at the heart of this nation’s life," Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said. "She did not simply reign over us, she lived alongside us."

"It seems impossible to imagine a Britain without her," he added.

There will also be a rare Saturday meeting where senior members of Parliament can take an oath of allegiance to the king. The meeting will end with an address to the king expressing condolences following his mother's death.

House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle will determine the timetable in the House for the following days, which is expected to be significantly reduced until after the state funeral for the queen.

This means new laws cannot be passed until Parliament returns, though it could be recalled for pressing matters.

King Charles III will return to London this afternoon to record a televised address to the nation from Buckingham Palace. The speech will air at 1 p.m. ET before he attends the national service of thanksgiving for his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at St. Paul's Cathedral at 2 p.m. ET.

King Charles will be officially proclaimed king at 6 a.m. ET on Saturday from the balcony at St James' Palace. The first son of Queen Elizabeth II became king the minute his mother died but the formal announcement will be made on Saturday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has shared the following statement to the people of the United Kingdom following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8, 2022:

"Together with the American people, I extend my deepest sympathies to His Majesty The King, the entire Royal Family, the people of the United Kingdom, and the peoples of the Commonwealth on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"For more than 70 years – a period during which the United Kingdom and the world witnessed unprecedented change – Queen Elizabeth personified a sense of stability. During a time of tremendous division, she was a source of unity.

"Her influence extended well beyond the Commonwealth. As Queen, she visited more than 120 countries, including the United States, where she made a point of meeting not only with leaders, but with people from all walks of life. She was the embodiment of the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, and a symbol of the enduring alliance that has seen our nations through the greatest tests of the 20th and 21st centuries.

"We join people around the world in mourning her passing, and we will forever be inspired by the memory of her service, leadership, and friendship."

Prince Charles and Princess Anne were with their mother in her final hours.

Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie raced to be by her side, as did her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry but they did not get there in time.