Queen Elizabeth II passes away at 96

London: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, has died. She was 96.

At the moment the Queen died, the throne passed immediately and without ceremony to the heir, Charles, the former Prince of Wales. But there are a number of practical – and traditional – steps which he must go through to be crowned King. He will be known as King Charles III.

The Queen leaves a large and devoted family – four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

The long reign of Queen Elizabeth II was marked by her strong sense of duty and her determination to dedicate her life to her throne and to her people. She became for many the one constant point in a rapidly changing world as British influence declined, society changed beyond recognition and the role of the monarchy itself came into question.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on 21 April 1926, in a house just off Berkeley Square in London, the first child of Albert, Duke of York, second son of George V, and his duchess, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

Her Coronation in June 1953 was televised, despite the opposition of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and millions gathered around TV sets, many of them for the first time, to watch as Queen Elizabeth II made her oath.

As Britain struggled to find a new destiny, she tried to remain a reassuring figure, and with a sudden smile could lighten a solemn moment. The role she valued above all was that of a symbol of the nation.

On 9 September 2015, she became the longest reigning monarch in British history, surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. In typical style, she refused to make any fuss saying the title was “not one to which I have ever aspired”.

Image courtesy of (Image Courtesy: Mahendra Shah)

Share this post