Holly Willoughby shares her children's sweet response after learning the Queen had died

This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby has revealed how she broke the news of the Queen’s death to her children. Watch the video below:

During Monday’s show (12 September) the mum-of-three discussed her recent visit to Buckingham Palace with Harry, 13, Belle, 11 and Chester, seven, to pay their respects.

In a conversation with her co-host Phillip Schofield, Holly said how ‘emotional’ she was after hearing about the monarch’s passing and revealed her children had written letters to express their grief.

The 42-year-old said she found the trip ‘helpful’ because she struggled to explain the Queen’s death to her children as she came to terms with it herself.

“On Saturday, I wanted to take the children down because I think you're trying to explain it to young people and almost trying to understand it yourself. I found it quite helpful; as I was talking to them, it was kind of sinking in for myself.”

When asked how her children responded to the news, Holly said: "For me, explaining it to Chester somewhat, I was trying to explain that whatever her passions and love, from being a little girl, this is where she was destined to go and destined to do.

“All of her own passions had to be put on the backburner for her country.”

She went on: “The last time I was outside Buckingham Palace was in June, for the Jubilee and the pageant. It was the last time we saw the Queen walk out onto the balcony.

“And then suddenly, three months later, to be there placing flowers in her memory was just... it was difficult. It was very, very emotional.”

Holly read her children’s tributes aloud on the show as Phillip, Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary listened in the studio.

In related news, a national one-minute silence will be held in honour of the Queen, at 8.00pm on Sunday, 18 September, Downing Street has announced today.

The nation will come together in a one-minute tribute to the monarch, who passed away on Thursday 8 September at her Balmoral residence.

The Queen's coffin lies in state at Westminster Hall in London when the one-minute silence takes place on the day before her funeral.