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Thursday, September 8, 2022
Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom and the fourteen Commonwealth realms, died Thursday at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle, Scotland after a reign of 70 years. The news was announced at 18:30 BST (UTC+1) by a formal notice outside Buckingham Palace, London, England.
Her eldest son, Charles the former Prince of Wales, automatically became King on her death and will be known as King Charles III. His eldest son, William, now inherits the Duchy of Cornwall from his father, whilst retaining his title of Duke of Cambridge. Elizabeth’s husband and Prince consort, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died in 2021 at the age of 99.
Earlier, various members of the British royal family had traveled to Balmoral to be by the side of the Queen as doctors said they became concerned for the 96-year-old monarch’s health.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother,” said Charles in a statement. “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
Just two days prior, Elizabeth II was still performing her duties as head-of-state as she approved Liz Truss as the new prime minister, succeeding Boris Johnson who tendered his resignation in person to the Queen on the same day.
Truss called Elizabeth “the rock on which modern Britain was built” and “provided us with the stability and strength that we needed”. She declared Britain to be “devastated” by her death.
About the new monarch, Charles, Truss said, “We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much, to so many, for so long. And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words ‘God save the King’.”
Born in London on April 21, 1926 as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, she was not in the immediate line of succession to the throne. King Edward VIII, however, abdicated in 1936 to Elizabeth’s father, King George VI and Elizabeth became heir apparent.
During World War II, Elizabeth began making public statements at the age of 14 with the first being a message to children who had been evacuated. After reaching the age of 18, she served with the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a truck driver.
In 1947, she married Philip with whom she had four children: Charles (1948), Anne (1950), Andrew (1960) and Edward (1964).
Elizabeth’s reign is the longest in the history of Britain and the second-longest sovereign monarch of all recorded history. She presided over fifteen different prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill. A funeral scheduled to take place after ten days of mourning for the Queen.