RIP

Queen Elizabeth II is leaving behind a trove of precious possessions, but probably none more important to her than her beloved horses and dogs. As for who gets them ... it may take nearly a century to find out.

The Queen adored her horses ... she had more than 100 at the time of her death. She rode them with pride for decades.

Ditto her dogs that were omnipresent during her reign. At the time of her death, she had 4 --Corgis Muick and Sandy, a Dorgi named Candy, and a Cocker Spaniel.

The Queen has something in common with commoners ... a last will and testament that leaves her possessions, including dogs and horses, to designated beneficiaries. More than 30 royals who have died all left behind a will, so it's SOP in England.

The question -- who gets the animals? Although her will certainly provides answers, it will probably be kept under wraps for many years.

When her husband, Prince Philip died last year, an English judge revealed Phillip's will would be sealed for 90 years.

That said, certain items may be fair game for public disclosure.

After Phillip died, it became known he left his carriage to his granddaughter Louise Windsor, the daughter of Edward.

There is one hint ... we know Prince Andrew gave his mom 2 dogs last year while Prince Philip was in the hospital, as a way to keep her spirits up ... although one died a few months later. So, it's possible Andrew will get that dog and he's in the mix for the others as well.

Queen Elizabeth II -- the longest-serving monarch in British history -- has died.

The Royal Family announced Thursday, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon" ... just a few hours after the palace had announced she was under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle, her estate in Scotland.

They also made it clear, King Charles is now in power, writing, "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

It was clear the situation was dire when the palace told all of Elizabeth's children to rush to her side.

As it turns out, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been in the UK for events this week. Harry went to Balmoral.

QE2's last public appearance came on Tuesday when she met with England's new Prime Minister, Liz Truss.

Her overall condition had been in question for awhile -- with her Royal duties being scaled back over the past year, and trips she might normally make without a second thought, especially within the UK, being nixed on doctors' orders at the last minute ... without any real explanation.

Her family and the country celebrated the Platinum Jubilee -- a 4-day celebration -- in June, honoring the 70 years she's been on the throne.

It's a sad moment for all of the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth realms -- of which Queen Elizabeth served as head of state ... and for the entire world too, as Her Majesty was generally beloved around the globe.

Elizabeth ascended to the throne at a very young age, just 25, in 1952 after the sudden passing of her father, King George VI ... who died from respiratory complications, leaving his daughter to take on the mantle and all of its responsibilities.

It was a difficult time to take the reins, as Europe was still recovering from WWII.

And yet, there were more geopolitical challenges ahead ... and QE2 had to navigate a number of conflicts that directly affected her nation, including the Troubles of Northern Ireland, the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, and the gaining of sovereignty for several nation-states that used to be either fully or partially under UK rule -- including Canada.

Elizabeth also oversaw the decolonization of Africa and the Caribbean during her reign ... as well as other territories in South Asia like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and more that gained independence and became republics.

There are several worldwide events the Queen weighed in on over the years -- including Australia's pivot from a parliamentary government to a full-blown republic, the patriation of the Canadian constitution, military coups and conflicts, S. African apartheid, the Gulf War and countless other landmark moments of the 20th century ... several of which the Queen was either explicitly involved in, or at least publicly addressed.

For many, her opinions carried enormous influence.

Of course, as Elizabeth navigated the choppy waters of royalty ... she had her husband, Prince Philip, by her side through the majority of it -- not to mention her children -- as well as her extended Royal family, including her sister, cousins, aunts, uncles and the rest.

As you well know ... the Royals were the subject of much speculation, gossip, innuendo and intrigue -- but perhaps not nearly as much as when Elizabeth's son, Prince Charles, married Princess Diana ... a relationship that resulted in extra-marital affairs and scandals -- thrusting the Queen right back into the spotlight -- only this time, in a new way she never had been.

Of course, that only intensified when Diana died in a tragic accident -- the impact of which is still discussed as it pertains to the larger Royal family, and the Queen by extension.

Ditto for the relationship between her grandson, Harry, and his wife, Meghan -- who accused the Royal family, without naming names, of racism in an explosive interview with Oprah. While Elizabeth herself wasn't directly implicated in the alleged comments about their son, Archie, she certainly seems to have taken the accusations to heart.

The Queen appears to have taken issue with their characterization of the Royal family -- and, by extension, the institution of the monarchy itself -- with veiled comments like "some recollections may vary," which was essentially seen as a denial to Harry and Meg's claims.

Despite the latest fracture in her family ... the Queen carried on with dignity and a profound sense of duty -- always upholding the monarchy's traditions, and fulfilling her obligations with grace.

Even after her longtime hubby, Philip, passed away in 2021 ... Elizabeth held her head high and continued to meet with heads of state, be it at G7 summits or right there at Windsor Castle. Through and through, the Queen has risen to serve out her role.

Queen Elizabeth is survived by her 4 children, 8 grandchildren and even more great-grandchildren -- not to mention the many extended Royal family members that run the gamut.

She was 96.

RIP

Prince Harry has officially joined the rest of The Royal Family on a grim day for all who loved Queen Elizabeth.

Harry touched down earlier Thursday, and he was spotted apparently traveling solo in the backseat of a chauffeured vehicle. It had previously been reported his wife, Meghan, would be joining him on his trip to the Scottish estate, but she was not seen.

Harry and Meghan had previously been in Europe to attend the WellChild Awards in London. Harry was to deliver a speech Thursday night, which will no longer happen.

Unclear what sort of communication Harry had with Prince William and King Charles in the moments leading up to Queen Elizabeth's death ... but it's no secret things have been icy between the family over the last few years.

As we reported, The Royal Family announced Thursday, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon."

King Charles released a statement, in which he's referred to as "His Majesty The King," saying, "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."

The NFL will honor Queen Elizabeth II before the 2022-23 season kicks off ... with the league holding a moment of silence, TMZ Sports has learned.

Tributes throughout the sports world have been pouring in on Thursday ... with many athletes, organizations and events sharing condolences over the passing of Her Majesty.

In addition to the NFL's tribute, the BMW PGA Championship has suspended play until further notice ... with organizers saying golf would be paused for the time being in the wake of the Queen's death.

"Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday, and flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast,” a statement from the Tour reads, according to GOLF.com.

"Furthermore, no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday, and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed."

Thursday was the first day of the BMW PGA Championship tournament -- which is held in Europe -- and one of golf's biggest names, Rory McIlroy, was competing in it.

As we reported, the Queen's family rushed to be by her side once the palace announced she was under medical supervision at her estate in Scotland.

The Royal Family announced the 96-year-old Queen -- the longest reigning monarch --  "died peacefully" hours later.

Another tribute took place at a match between FC Zurich and Arsenal ... with a moment of silence after halftime.

Players from both clubs stood with their arms behind their backs ... while fans in attendance followed suit by paying homage to the Queen.

An image of the Queen was also shown on a big screen ... saying, "In memorial Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

The Queen's impact was certainly felt ... evidenced by the reaction her passing is receiving from notable athletes like F1 star Lewis Hamilton, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and pro boxers Tyson Fury and Jake Paul.

Hamilton expressed concern about Queen Elizabeth's well-being in the waning moments of her life ... saying he was hoping for better news and calling her a "real fighter."

"Dignity defined. An inspirational leader for many generations. Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth II," Paul tweeted.

Just hours before the world learned of the death of Queen Elizabeth II a massive double rainbow covered the sky over Buckingham Palace.

The beautiful tribute stopped those walking in the area in their tracks, admiring what could now be considered a heavenly homage to the 96-year-old and her 70 years in power.

Just about an hour after the rainbow appeared, The Royal Family announced the longest-serving monarch in British history had died ... saying "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon."

The Queen's death came just hours after it was announced doctors were concerned about her health and her family members, including Prince William and Harry were gathering to be by her side.

Sad news out of the dog racing world ... 4-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey passed away Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was only 52.

As we previously reported, Mackey announced he was diagnosed with throat cancer for the 2nd time last August ... after beating the disease in 2001.

We're told the legendary dog musher was in and out of the hospital since June ... with Mackey saying on Facebook in August, "the past several months have been the hardest/worst part."

"Just wanted to say thanks to my friends and family for everything and I love you all so much. I Fully believe it is not my time yet and I’m still doing pretty good but I’m going to have a lot of things to get done in my life."

But, tragically, Mackey died Wednesday night.

Mackey's mother went to FB to break the terrible news ... before Lance's fans filled her comments paying tribute to the champ.

"May the champion musher Rest In Peace," a fan said under the post.

"Thanks for the memories. My sincere condolences to the entire Mackey family and friends. Sadly the world lost a great musher and a even greater person."

Mackey was one of the best in dog sledding ... winning both the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race four times between 2005 and 2010. His father and half-brother are also dog mushers.

Mackey was honored by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski for his accomplishments and Asteroid 43793 was named after him in 1990 by discoverers Carolyn Shoemaker and David H. Levy.

Mackey is survived by his two children ... whom he shared with his late partner, Jenne Smith, who died in an ATV accident in 2020.

Bernard Shaw, one of the anchors who put CNN on the map, has died from pneumonia ... according to his family.

His family announced his passing Thursday morning, and said the pneumonia was unrelated to COVID-19.

When CNN launched in 1980, Shaw was the network's first chief anchor, and famously anchored presidential debates, and especially shined during the Gulf War in 1991.

Shaw reported live from Baghdad as the first missile strikes landed and launched the war. He frequently had to seek cover under desks and in bomb shelters while reporting.

A Marine veteran, who served during the Vietnam War, Shaw remained at CNN for more than 20 years ... finally retiring in 2001.

Prior to his time at CNN, Bernie -- as his co-workers called him on the air -- worked the Washington Bureau for CBS News, and was also at ABC News for a time.

Shaw was a proud Chicago native ... he actually started his broadcasting career there as a reporter and anchor, and eventually became the White House correspondent for Westinghouse.

He's survived by his wife Linda Allston and their 2 children. Bernie Shaw was 82.

David A. Arnold, the longtime comedian, 'Fuller House' producer and Netflix star, has died, TMZ confirmed.

His family tells TMZ ...“It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our husband, father, brother and friend, David A. Arnold. David passed away peacefully today in his home and doctors have ruled the cause of death due to natural causes. Please keep our family in prayer and respect our privacy at this time as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss.”

David's BFF and fellow funnyman Chris Spencer also paid his respects ... “Our closely knit comedy community mourns the loss of one of the greatest to ever do it. He was admired by his peers, respected by other veterans, and revered by the burgeoning comedians that he mentored. He will be deeply missed, especially by his comedy fraternity.”

David was a multi-talented actor, stand-up comedian, producer and writer of TV shows and movies. He had a laundry list of Hollywood credits and was known as one of a handful of Black showrunners in the industry. He wrote and produced "Fuller House" on Netflix and "Bigger" on BET+. He also created Nickelodeon's "That Girl Lay Lay." His latest comedy special, "It Ain't For the Weak," hit Netflix in July.

He is survived by his wife Julie and daughters Anna Grace and Ashlyn Elizabeth.

David was 54.

The late DeForest Kelley, who played Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy on "Star Trek," will be joining his costar Nichelle Nichols' ashes in a unique way ... as they both go to deep space.

A sample of DeForest's DNA will be onboard United Launch Alliance's aptly-named "Vulcan" rocket with Nichelle's remains as it launches into space later this year ... creating a once-in-a-lifetime reunion mission.

The announcement comes on the 56th anniversary of the OG TV series' first episode ... also known as "Star Trek Day." Charles M. Chafer, co-founder of Celestis, says, “No mission to deep space would be complete without a ship’s doctor.”

DeForest, who's best known for his role as the wisecracking Dr. Bones, died of stomach cancer back in 1999, but a close family friend and caregiver named Kris Smith tells TMZ she had kept a lock of his hair all this time. She donated it to Celestis so her friend could take one final "journey into interstellar space."

She adds, "I think De would have loved to 'go hopping galaxies' again with cast and crew mates."

DeForest and Nichelle won't be alone ... as we reported, the remains of 'ST' creator Gene Roddenberry, along with actors James Doohan ("Scotty") and Majel Barrett Roddenberry ("Nurse Chapel") will all be aboard when they're launched into an orbit around the sun.

The Celestis Enterprise Flight is set to boldly go well beyond the Earth-Moon system, traveling between 150 million and 300 million kilometers into deep space.

Rapper 600 Breezy is mourning his girlfriend's sudden death ... and it appears she died by suicide.

600 Breezy just posted a social media tribute to his girlfriend of two years, Raven Jackson, including photos of them together and screenshots of what appear to be a suicide note.

In the text message, Breezy's girlfriend tells him she's tired and has been dealing with bad thoughts for years and was waiting for the right time to act. She mentions she is hanging out on a bridge and notes she "gave up a long time ago."

Raven also tells Breezy it's her choice and it's something she wanted, adding ... "It's one thing to ruin your life, but I had to go and end mines too."

600 Breezy admits his girlfriend was hurting and says he "did everything I could to show her nothing but love and keep her going."

Breezy says her death is going to mess him up for life and will never be able to love again ... and he's telling folks to take people serious when they show signs of mental health issues and depression.

RIP.

"Smash" actress Megan Hilty and her family have been left in an unimaginable situation after her sister, brother-in-law and their child all died in a plane crash.

Lauren Hilty, Ross Mickel and their child Remy, were 3 of the 9 passengers onboard a floatplane that went down Sunday into Puget Sound near Whidbey Island in Washington ... about 30 miles from Seattle. Lauren was pregnant at the time of the crash.

Ross' family shared their heartbreak, telling King 5, "We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca. Our collective grief is unimaginable."

Ross owned Ross Andrew Wineries ... starting up the business in 1999. The Washington State Wine Commission responded to the news, saying "Ross had an incredible impact on the Washington wine community and he will be greatly missed."

An extensive search immediately went underway for the other missing passengers and pilot, but was suspended Monday ... only one body has been recovered so far.

Olympic sprinter and former Texas A&M star Shavez Hart was tragically shot and killed after allegedly trying to break up a fight outside of a nightclub in the Bahamas on Saturday. He was only 29 years old.

According to the Royal Bahamas Police, the incident happened in Mount Hope, North Abaco (about 120 miles north of Nassau) around 2 AM.

The report states a group of males got into a physical altercation in the parking lot when one male -- who left and returned with a gun -- opened fire, hitting Hart in the chest.

Hart was transported to the Marsh Harbour Clinic where he was pronounced dead ... just days before his 30th birthday.

The Bahamas Olympic Committee released a statement on Shavez's passing ... saying, "The Olympic family is saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Shavez Hart, a proud native of Abaco."

"He was always very humble, yet proud and determined to offer the very best of himself for the sake of country."

Hart was the third fastest Bahamian sprinter of all time in the 100m dash ... and won the silver medal in the 4x400m relay in the 2016 Indoor World Championship.

Before that, Hart was a Texas A&M star ... winning several competitions, including the gold in the 4x400m relay at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championship and the 100m at the 2015 SEC Outdoor Championship.

"This is so tragic," Aggie track and field head coach Pat Henry said.

"Shavez Hart was of course one of our finest athletes ever, but he was one of the kindest people I have met, and such a soft-spoken man."

RBPF says a suspect has been arrested and the investigation is ongoing.

The CFO of Bed Bath & Beyond has died after plunging from a famous skyscraper in New York City -- this as the company is taking a major financial hit that's affecting thousands.

Gustavo Arnal was confirmed to have been the man who fell from the 18th floor of the Jenga Tower in Manhattan Friday afternoon. Cops haven't released many details about the exact circumstances, but all signs point to a suicide ... with no foul play suspected.

BB&B noted Arnal had passed in a statement, but didn't elaborate. The chairman says, "I wish to extend our sincerest condolences to Gustavo's family. Gustavo will be remembered by all he worked with for his leadership, talent and stewardship of our Company."

They add, "I am proud to have been his colleague, and he will be truly missed by all of us at Bed Bath & Beyond and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. Our focus is on supporting his family and his team and our thoughts are with them during this sad and difficult time. Please join us in respecting the family's privacy."

The Jenga Tower is 57 stories high, and reaches a height (notwithstanding the tip) of 796 feet. From the 18th floor, it would appear Arnal fell about 250 feet or so.

GA came to Beyond in 2020 after serving as an exec at a handful of companies, including Procter & Gamble, Avon and Walgreens Boots Alliance. Last week, the company announced it was slashing its workforce by 20% via layoffs -- plus closing 150 locations.

BB&B shares took a nosedive amid the news ... which was compounded by the fact that Arnal and others were recently named in a lawsuit that accused him of fraudulently inflating the stock price. It doesn't appear he'd responded to the claim prior to his death.

Pat Stay, known as one of the best battle rappers in the game, is dead after a stabbing incident in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The stabbing happened early Sunday morning in downtown Halifax, according to police -- and while the authorities haven't confirmed Pat as the victim ... his brother, Pete Stay, confirmed his death to CBC.

Police responded just after 12:30 AM, and Pat was taken to a hospital ... but he later died from his injuries. No one's been arrested for the stabbing.

Pat was from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia ... hardly a hotbed for hip hop, but he was still revered within the industry for his freestyling during live rap battles.

Stay had a large social media following, and dropped a new track on YouTube just 2 days ago that rips into The Game -- it's called "The Game DISS."

The video includes brief quotes from Drake, Method Man and Joe Budden ... who all praised Stay's battle rapping.

Drake's take on his skills was, "Pat Stay's definitely one of, if not, the best."

Police are asking anyone with information about the stabbing to call 902-490-5020.

Dave Grohl did Taylor Hawkins proud during the latter's tribute show in the UK -- with the Foo Fighters frontman taking on the station that his late bandmate once helmed.

The show is currently underway in London, where Dave and a slew of other artists are doing a huge concert at Wembley Stadium in honor of Hawkins -- who died earlier this year. The lineup is stacked ... with members of several iconic bands scheduled to hit the stage.

Some of those acts include ... Nirvana, Metallica, Queen, Led Zeppelin, RUSH, AC/DC and The Police. Liam Gallagher of Oasis also performed, with Dave backing him on percussion.

There were a number of emotional moments throughout the concert, which is now winding down. At one point ... Dave's voice started to crack a bit when he was talking about Taylor, but he pulled it together and carried on. Safe to say, the vibe was very bittersweet.

As you can imagine, the place was absolutely packed ... which makes total sense. The sheer number of artists on the bill for this is staggering -- which just speaks to how much TH meant to the music community. But yeah, this is a show folks definitely didn't want to miss.

It's actually the first of two tribute concerts that are going to be done on behalf of Taylor -- there's another that's scheduled in Los Angeles later this month ... and that one, too, is likely to be star-studded. Anyone who isn't there now will probably show up in L.A.

As we reported ... Taylor was found dead at his hotel in Colombia, where he was touring with his band. An official cause of death has yet to be released, but an overdose of some sort seems to be what might've killed him -- upwards of 10 different substances were found to be in his system when an autopsy was done.

Eli Palfreyman -- a rising junior ice hockey star -- has died after he collapsed during a preseason tournament game on Tuesday in Ontario.

He was only 20 years old.

Palfreyman -- who was in his 2nd year with the Ayr Centennials of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League -- collapsed while he and his team were in the locker room during the first intermission of their Ayr Farmers Mutual Global Invitational tournament game at the North Dumfries Community Complex.

Waterloo Regional Police tell us officers arrived at the arena after receiving a medical emergency call, adding that "members of the community assisted the individual until emergency services attended."

Palfreyman was transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital but, tragically, he was pronounced dead. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Palfreyman's Ayr Centennials team is heartbroken over his passing ... saying in a statement, "Thank you all for the outpouring of love for our beloved captain and beautiful young man Eli."

"Words cannot describe how much it means to his family/Cens family. We are all broken but feel your arms around us ❤️ #RIP17 ❤️"

Palfreyman was just named team captain for this upcoming season ... and said last Friday he was honored to receive the title.

The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League has postponed all games scheduled for this week "out of respect for Eli and his family."

North Dumfries Township Mayor Sue Foxton also ordered flags to be flown at half-mast as a tribute to the hockey player.