After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, passed away on Thursday. She was a symbol of stability during a turbulent time marked by the fall of the British empire and chaos within her own family. She was 96.
She passed away at Balmoral Castle, her Scottish vacation home, where members of the royal family had hurried to her aid when her health started to deteriorate, according to the palace.
She was the only monarch that the majority of Britons had ever known, serving as a link to the nearly extinct generation who fought in World War II.
Prince Charles, her 73-year-old son, officially became monarch and will go by the name King Charles III. Former British kings and queens have chosen new names after ascending to the throne. Camilla, Charles' second wife, will be referred to as the Queen Consort.
After the prescribed 10 days of mourning, a funeral was to be arranged.
Her loss will have a profound and unanticipated effect on both the country and the monarchy, an institution she helped modernize and preserve through decades of significant societal upheaval and personal scandals, but whose applicability in the twenty-first century has frequently been questioned.
The public's enduring love for the queen has contributed to keeping the monarchy popular despite scandals. Charles is not nearly as well-liked.
Charles expressed his family's "most sadness" on his mother's passing in a statement, adding that "her loss will be keenly felt throughout the UK, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless individuals around the world."
A new prime minister, an energy crisis, double-digit inflation, the conflict in Ukraine, and the consequences of Brexit are all present in Britain at the time of the changing of the guard.
Prime Minister Liz Truss, who had just been in office for 48 hours when the queen appointed her, described the nation as "devastated" and Elizabeth as "the rock on which modern Britain was constructed."
When officials delivered a note certifying the queen's death to the wrought-iron gates of her London residence, British citizens outside Buckingham Palace sobbed. Mourners placed dozens of vibrant bouquets at the gates as hundreds quickly gathered in the downpour.
Romy McCarthy, 20, remarked, "As a young person, this is a tremendously important event." "It signals the end of an era, especially for women. As someone to look up to, we had a powerful woman.
Leaders from throughout the world expressed their sympathies and honored the queen.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, where the British monarch is the head of state, praised her "wisdom, compassion, and warmth," while Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, the former "jewel in the crown" of the British empire, tweeted that she "personified dignity and decency in public life." I was hurt by her passing.
U.S. She strengthened the fundamental ties between the United States and the United Kingdom, according to President Joe Biden, who described her as a "stateswoman of incomparable dignity and constancy."
Since February 6, 1952, Elizabeth has presided over a nation that underwent a traumatic transition into the twenty-first century, recovered from a destructive and financially draining war, lost its empire, and entered and then left the European Union.
She survived 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Truss, and became a fixture and an icon. Even for those who despised or ignored the monarchy, she was a reassuring presence.
As she grew older and more fragile, she made fewer public appearances and was less well-known during her later years. But even as Britain celebrated her Platinum Jubilee with days of festivities and pageants in June, she remained firmly in charge of the monarchy and at the center of public life.
In the same month, she passed Louis XIV of France, who ascended to the throne at the age of 4, to become the monarch with the second-longest reign in history. She presided over a ceremony on Tuesday at Balmoral Castle to accept Boris Johnson's resignation as prime minister and name Truss as his replacement.
Elizabeth vowed the people of Britain and the Commonwealth that "my whole life, whether it be long or short, should be devoted to your service" when she was 21 years old, or about five years before she became queen.
She kept her pledge for more than seven decades.
Elizabeth was well respected and continued to serve as the head of state of more than a dozen nations, from Canada to Tuvalu, despite Britain's complicated and frequently tense relations with its former colonies. She served as head of the Commonwealth, a group of 54 nations centered on the former colonies of Great Britain.
Elizabeth was matriarch of a royal family whose problems were a source of fascination on a global scale, accentuated by fictitious stories like the TV series "The Crown." She was married to Prince Philip for more than 73 years before he passed away in 2021 at the age of 99. Four children, eight grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren remain in her life.
She most likely interacted with more people than anyone in history through innumerable public engagements. Her likeness was among the most widely duplicated in the globe and appeared on stamps, coins, and banknotes.
Her innermost thoughts and ideas, though, were largely a mystery. Few aspects of her personality were revealed to the public. She rarely appeared happier than during the Royal Ascot racing week; she owned horses. She never got sick of her adored Welsh corgi dogs' company.
On April 21, 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of York's first child, was born in London. She was not meant to be queen; Prince Edward, her father's older brother, and any offspring he produced were to inherit the throne.
However, when Elizabeth was 10 years old and Edward VIII abdicated to wed the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, Elizabeth's father, King George VI, took over.
When Princess Margaret asked her sister if Elizabeth would become the next monarch, her sister replied that it did. Elizabeth said, "Yes, I think it does," as reported by Margaret. "She made no further mention of it."
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