Gary Lineker and Harry Kane led the tributes to the Queen following her death at the age of 96.

Buckingham Palace announced the news on Thursday evening.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” they said a statement. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

Sport, as the rest of the nation, joined the mourning at an unprecedented time.

Play at the ongoing BMW PGA Championship was immediately suspended for the rest of the day after the news broke, with racing at Southwell and Chelmsford going the same way.

In Arsenal’s Europa League game at FC Zurich, both sets of players emerged for the second half and gathered around the centre circle for a minute’s silence.

Lineker tweeted: “Such a terribly sad day. Her Majesty The Queen has died. A truly remarkable woman who served her country with dignity, loyalty and grace. A comforting ever present in the lives of most of us. Rest In Peace, Your Majesty.”

“The Queen was an amazing inspiration and will be remembered for her incredible years of service to this country.”

England captain Kane wrote on Twitter: “My thoughts are with the Royal Family at this very difficult time. The Tottenham forward added: “Rest in peace, Your Majesty.”

England teammate Raheem Sterling offered his condolences to the Royal Family. He said on Instagram: “My deepest condolences to the Royal Family at this incredibly sad time.”

Ex-England and Manchester United defender Phil Neville hailed a “remarkable woman”. He tweeted: “The most remarkable women who represented everything that is great in our country RIP.”

Former Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen thanked the Queen for her service. He tweeted: “RIP to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Thank you Ma’am for your lifetime of service and dedication.”

Heavyweight boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua put aside their rivalry to issue brief statements on their respective social media accounts.

Fury posted a picture with the words "Thoughts & prayers with my Queen tonight, may God be with you", whilst Joshua wrote simply: "Rest in peace".

Fellow boxer Nicola Adams tweeted: "I am deeply saddened to hear that the Queen has passed away, I will never forget how happy I was receiving my MBE From her majesty the Queen after I won my gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics."

Ex-England batter David Gower described his meeting with the Queen as “special”. He tweeted: “What a great lady. What a great reign. May Elizabeth II rest in peace after a lifetime of wholly admirable service. As one of many to have met her even briefly the memory remains both fresh and special.”

British Formula One driver George Russell tweeted: “I’m so sad to hear about the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. “Her devotion to our country and her gracious leadership were inspirational to so many generations of people in the UK and around the world.

“My family and I send our deepest condolences to The Royal Family and to all those who admired her service to our country for seven decades. Rest in Peace.”

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

“The Queen was undoubtedly one of the most respected heads of state ever to have lived, and I send my condolences, and those of the entire FIA community, to the Royal Family and all of the citizens of The United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

“Motor sport, and especially Formula One, has its heart in the United Kingdom, and the Royal Family has over the years given great support and patronage to the sport.

“For this we thank them, and those events taking place around the world this weekend will undoubtedly be undertaken in honour of her Majesty.”

Former tennis player Johanna Konta tweeted: “May her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace.” Former 16-time world darts champion Phil Taylor tweeted: “What an amazing life. Will be sadly missed by Millions of people. Rest in Peace your Majesty.”

Germany and Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan tweeted: “A sad day for the UK - May she rest in peace.” Former England fast bowler Darren Gough thanked a “remarkable lady”. The Yorkshireman added on Instagram: “Zero fuss & carried her duties on until the very end... Thank you, Your Majesty.”

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