Premier League postpones weekend's matches following passing of Queen Elizabeth II

The Premier League has announced that all matches scheduled to take place across this weekend have been postponed following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.

Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Thursday (September 8) announcing that the Queen had died at the age of 96.

It 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."

Following the news of her passing, the Premier League released a statement, which read: "At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"To honour her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening’s game.

Further updates regarding Premier League fixtures during the period of mourning will be provided in due course."

Richard Masters, the Premier League's chief executive, said: “We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s long and unwavering service to our country.

"As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication.

"This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing.”

Manchester City were scheduled to host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, while Manchester United were set to face off against Crystal Palace on Sunday.