Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: Getty
After a 70 year reign, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away today at the age of 96. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” stated the official statement by Buckingham Palace.
Earlier this week, Buckingham Palace revealed that the Queen had been placed under medical supervision at Balmoral, which caused concern among well-wishers as it is rare for information related to the royal’s health to be shared with the public. The statement also revealed that the Queen was comfortable, stating that “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.”
At the time, it was also reported that all of the Queen’s children were either already at, or were on their way to her Scottish estate near Aberdeen. While Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were already with Her Highness along with Princess Anne, the Duke of York and the Count and Countess of Wessex were arranging to join soon after. Prince William too was by his grandmother’s side, however, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton stayed back in Windsor with the couple’s three children, George, Charlotte and Louise, on account of their first day at school. As for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Sussexes re-routed from their travels to London for a charity event to make sure they too were present at this time.
Prior to her passing, Queen Elizabeth was last seen on her feet while appointing Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister in Balmoral—a deviation from the original plan, which was to mark the big moment in London, as is customary. Truss shared, “My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.”
With the passing of the Queen, her eldest child Charles will now serve as the new King of Britain, and the lead of 14 Commonwealth realms. As per the statement, “the King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and return to London tomorrow.”
Born on April 21, 1926, Queen Elizabeth II was appointed queen at just 25 years old in front of an audience of 20 million people, and went on to be served by 15 Prime Ministers, and become one of the most iconic rulers in the world, along with Britain’s longest reigning monarch. A much-loved personality across the world, the Queen will be remembered for generations to come.
