Queen Elizabeth II, who recently celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, has passed away at Balmoral, her Scottish estate. Earlier this summer, the Queen, who was 96, had to take a break and rest during the Platinum Jubilee, which is the 70th anniversary of her monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II also had COVID in February 2022. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Prince Phillip, in 2021.
She was the longest reigning British monarch, surpassing her own great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there have been fifteen British Prime Ministers. On Tuesday, the Queen met with and announced the latest British Prime Minister, Liz Truss. Truss traveled to Balmoral to meet with the monarch after being officially elected on Sunday. The first Prime Minister with which Elizabeth worked – and had a great friendship with – was Winston Churchill, who was the Prime Minister during World War II.
Most of the Royal family rushed to Balmoral Castle earlier today, including all four of the Queen’s children. Both Prince William and Prince Andrew were photographed in an SUV traveling to Balmoral. Another of the Queen’s grandchildren, Princess Sophie, was in the vehicle as well. Prince Harry is en route as well; he is said to be traveling alone.
Many Brits, who have long revered and respected the institution of the monarchy, are gathering outside Buckingham Palace. While the queen and the members of her family do not make many political decisions, they do exert influence. Of course, the Royals have generally been fodder for the media. The paparazzi follow the Royals diligently. Yet, world leaders have always respected Queen Elizabeth and her quiet, stoic leadership.
Queen Elizabeth II was born in Marfair, London on April 21, 1926. Her father was King George VI, who became the king only after his brother Edward abdicated the throne. Elizabeth’s parents were previously the Duke and Duchess of York.
While Elizabeth had all of the amenities of a princess’ life, she would step out and serve her country as a part of the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War. She would marry her third cousin, Philip Mountbatten, in 1947. The pair were married for 73 years.
Elizabeth was a mere 25 years of age when she became the queen. Her father passed away while she was in Kenya with Prince Philip. Prime Minister Winston Churchill was there to greet her when she returned back to England, and she was coronated shortly after.
Elizabeth was the Head of State over fifteen countries over the seven-decade span of her reign, and she helped navigate the UK through multiple political changes. She was the monarch while Ireland was in the midst of a civil war; she oversaw the decolonization of the United Kingdom, and the withdrawal of England from the European Union as well as many other historical events. She is the sixth female to have held the role of the reigning monarch in England.
In her seven decades of service, Queen Elizabeth’s professional and private life saw its share of troubles. The paparazzi plagued the Royal Family during times that saw the end of both Prince Charles’ and Prince Andrew’s highly public marriages; when Princess Diana passed away in 1997, many in the media blasted the queen for her supposed mistreatment of the People’s Princess.
At the same time, the people of England – and the world – held a deep respect for this stoic and regal woman who is the world’s second-longest reigning monarch (Louis XIV is the longest-reigning). She personally instituted a new tradition in 1970, the royal walkabout, during which the royal family would meet “ordinary members of the public.” She spent her life devoted to the country of England, carrying out her final duty on Tuesday when she officially appointed Liz Truss the latest Prime Minister.
Prince Charles is now set to take the throne as His Majesty King Charles III.
