Queen Elizabeth II Has Died At Age 96
She was the longest-reigning British monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96. On Sept. 8, the royal family issued a statement announcing her death. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” their statement read.
She died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland where the royal family had reportedly rushed to be by her side, including King Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry. Earlier in the day, Buckingham Palace announced she had been placed under medical supervision.
Her death comes on the heels of a historic year. On Feb. 6, the Queen became the first monarch to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee. The Jubilee marks 70 years of service to the people of the U.K., the Realms, and the Commonwealth.
Queen Elizabeth II first took reign in 1952 after her father King George VI, passed away after a battle with lung cancer at the age of 56. At age 25, Elizabeth became the sixth woman in history to ascend to the British throne.
Her reign was marked with many accomplishments such as de-escalating the Suez Crisis of 1956, a foreign affairs calamity. She also modernized the monarch’s image by televising the annual Royal Christmas broadcast for the first time in 1957.
Her death comes after a year of health scares. In October 2021, she canceled a trip to Northern Ireland on the advice of her doctors and spent the night in the hospital. The following month in November, she sprained her back, causing her to miss the annual Remembrance Day service, per NBC News.
In February, Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen tested positive for COVID-19. NPR reported the diagnosis came two days after she met with her son Prince Charles and his wife Camila, who initially tested positive for the virus. While recovering from her COVID-19 scare, the monarch continued on with a few of her royal duties. On Feb. 23, she conducted her weekly audience by telephone alongside U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson; however, she canceled other scheduled virtual meetings due to lingering “mild cold-like symptoms,” per Vanity Fair.
Shortly after isolating for a little over a week, the Queen reportedly enjoyed an afternoon with family and friends at the Windsor Palace, according to The Daily Mail. This sweet reunion would prep her for the Platinum Jubilee ceremony in early June. This series of events, which ran from June 2 through June 5, celebrated her 70 years on the throne.
The eclectic weekend kicked off on June 2 with the traditional Trooping the Colour parade and Buckingham Palace flypast, where she watched on from Buckingham Palace’s balcony. On Friday, June 3, St. Paul’s Cathedral hosted a Service of Thanksgiving for Her Majesty; however, the Queen was absent from the celebration due to physical discomfort, per USA Today.
The Queen’s death comes amid ongoing royal family fallouts. Notably, her grandson Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, his wife, both stepped down from royal family duties and financial dependence with the crown in 2020.
Additionally, in January, the Queen’s son Prince Andrew was stripped of his Royal patronages and military affiliations following allegations of sexual assault. Andrew denied the sexual abuse allegations that same month.
The Queen’s son Prince Charles is now the King of England.
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