Queen Elizabeth II has died
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has died in Balmoral at the age of 96 after reigning for 70 years.
She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer.
The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and saw immense social change.
Her son King Charles III said his beloved mother’s death was a “moment of great sadness” for him and his family and her loss would be “deeply felt” around the world.
He said: “We deeply mourn the passing of a beloved sovereign and much-loved mother.
I know his loss will be greatly felt by countless people across the country, territories and Commonwealth and around the world.
In the coming period of mourning, he said that he and his family “will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the esteem and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held”.
Buckingham Palace said the king and his wife Camilla, now the queen consort, will return to London on Friday. He is expected to address the nation on Friday.
Senior royals gathered at Balmoral after the Queen’s doctors became concerned about her health earlier in the day.
All the Queen’s children traveled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.
Her grandson and now heir to the throne Prince William and her brother Prince Harry were also present.
Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was appointed by the Queen on Tuesday, said the monarch was the rock on which modern Britain was built, having “given us the stability and strength we needed”.
Speaking about the new king, he said: “We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother has devoted to so many for so long.
And with the passing of the second reign of Elizabeth we begin a new era in the glorious history of our great country, just as Her Majesty intended, by uttering the words ‘God save the King.’
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby – the spiritual leader of the Church of England of which the monarch is supreme governor – expressed his “deep sadness”.
He said his “prayers are with the King and the Royal Family”.
Queen Elizabeth II’s tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from the Empire to the Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War, and Britain’s entry and exit from the European Union.
His reign spanned 15 prime ministers, starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Mrs Truss, who was born 101 years later in 1975.
He held weekly audiences with his prime minister throughout his reign.
Crowds at Buckingham Palace in London, waiting for an update on the Queen’s condition, broke down in tears upon hearing the news of her death.
The Union Flag above the palace was flown at half-mast at 18:30 BST and an official notice announcing the death was posted outside.
On the Queen’s death, Prince William and his wife Catherine became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall.
The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor on 21 April 1926 in Mayfair, London.
Few expected she would become king, but in December 1936 her uncle Edward VIII abdicated to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.
Elizabeth’s father became King George VI and at the age of 10 Lillibet, as she was known to the family, became heir to the throne.
Within three years Britain was at war with Nazi Germany. Elizabeth and her younger sister Princess Margaret spent most of the war at Windsor Castle after rejecting their parents’ proposals to be moved to Canada.
After turning 18, Elizabeth spent five months with the Auxiliary Territorial Service and learned basic motor mechanics and driving skills. I began to understand the esprit de corps that thrives in the face of adversity, he later recalled.
During the war he corresponded with his third cousin Philip, Prince of Greece, who was serving in the Royal Navy. Their romance blossomed and the couple married on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey, with the Prince taking the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
She would later describe him as “my strength and stay” for 74 years of marriage, before her death in 2021, aged 99.
Their first son, Charles, was born in 1948, followed by Princess Anne in 1950, Prince Andrew in 1960, and Prince Edward in 1964. Between them they gave their parents eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya representing the ailing monarch in 1952 when Philip broke the news that her father had died. She immediately returned to London as the new queen.
All of a sudden it was kind of work and you can do the best you can, he later recalled.
Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 aged 27 in front of a then-record TV audience estimated at over 20 million people.
The decades that followed would see great change, with the end of the British Empire overseas and the swing of the 60s overturning social norms at home.
Elizabeth reigned supreme for this short-lived age HQ also engaged with the public through walkabouts, royal visits and attendance at public events.
Her association with the Commonwealth was constant – she visited every Commonwealth country at least once.
But there were periods of private and public pain.
In 1992, the Queen’s “Anne Horribles” fire destroyed Windsor Castle, a private residence as well as a working palace, and three of her children’s marriages broke up.
After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in a car crash in Paris in 1997, the Queen was criticized for appearing reluctant to respond publicly.
There were questions about the relevance of monarchy in modern society.
“No institution… He admitted that he should expect to be free from scrutiny by those who give him their loyalty and support, not to mention those who do not.
As a 21-year-old princess, Elizabeth vowed to dedicate her life to service.
Decades later, reflecting on these words during the Silver Jubilee in 1977, he declared: “Though this commitment was made in my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I have no regrets nor Only one word of it has been withdrawn.”
The same pledge to serve was made in a letter of thanks to the nation during its platinum jubilee weekend in June, 45 years later.
The milestone was celebrated with state celebrations and a colorful festival of all things British, as well as lively street parties.
Although the Queen’s health kept her away from some events, she said: “My heart goes out to you all.”
In a moment met by huge crowd cheers on the Mall, she was joined by three generations of her family for a pageant finale on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
73-year-old King Charles has become head of state in 14 Commonwealth realms.
He and his wife Camilla are at Balmoral with their siblings Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward.
Along with Edward’s wife, Sophie, are Princes William and Harry.
William’s wife Catherine stayed in Windsor with their children George, Charlotte and Louis as it was their first full day at a new school.
The royal family has now entered a period of mourning. Much of the national life will be suspended in the coming days.
Official engagements will be canceled and Union flags will be flown at half-mast at royal residences, government buildings, the armed forces and UK outposts abroad.
MPs will pay tribute to the Queen and swear in King Charles.
Church bells will ring and gun salutes will be fired as local and national organizations and charities organize ways to honor him with memorial services and books of condolence.
The Queen’s official burial is expected in the next two weeks.
Foreign leaders have paid tribute to the Queen, with US President Joe Biden recalling how she stood in solidarity with America in its “darkest days” after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
For French President Emmanuel Macron, she was a “kind queen” and a “friend of France”.
For Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Queen was a constant in Canadians’ lives and one of his “favorite people in the world”.