Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral. The Queen was 96 years old and reigned for 70 years – making her UK’s longest-serving monarch. The Royal Family had earlier gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health on Thursday. According to BBC, ‘with her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms’.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
‘A Long Life Marked By A Sense Of Duty’
Elizabeth II was just 25 when she came to the throne as Britain was still recovering from the Second World war. She became Queen on February 6th 1952 after the death of her father King George- she received the news while staying at a game lodge in Kenya at the age of 25. Winston Churchill was Britain’s prime minister when she came to the throne and Liz Truss was her 15th prime minister. Her coronation at West Minister Abbey was watched by more than 20 million people. She was married to Prince Philip for 73 years until his death in 2021. Charles, their first child was born in 1948. He now becomes the new king.
In 2015 Queen Elizabeth II passed Queen Victoria as the longest reigning Monarch in British History. February 2022, marked the 70th anniversary of the Queen. During her reign, she made more than 250 visits to Commonwealth countries and was head of state in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Elizabeth II was the most widely travelled head of state in history. Queen of 15 nations and head of commonwealth of 54 countries and territories. Her death brings to an end the second Elizabethan age.
The death of Queen Elizabeth brings to an end the longest reign in British history, spanning 8 decades of immense change. The death of Queen Elizabeth brings to an end the longest reign in British history, spanning 8 decades of immense change.
