Mourners gathering at Buckingham Palace after news of the queen’s death
Her Majesty the Queen, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, died Thursday at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace said.
Prince Charles, 73, who has been heir to the throne since the age of three, is now king, His wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, is now Queen Consort.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said that “[T]he Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” adding that “[T]he King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
The news came after the queen’s doctors said they were concerned for her health and placed her “under medical supervision,” causing the royal family to gather at her bedside in Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Queen Elizabeth was the longest reigning monarch in British history, with over 70 years on the throne, and was the second longest reigning monarch in the world, after Louis XIV of France. Over 80% of the British population has only known Elizabeth as their queen.
The queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II marking the 70th anniversary of her accession in May.
Elizabeth ascended the throne on February 6, 1952. Since then, the queen has had three other major jubilees: her Silver in 1977, Golden in 2002, and Diamond in 2012. In addition, there were Ruby and Sapphire Jubilees in 1992 and 2017 respectively, although these were more modest affairs
The plans for the queen’s succession have been in place for many years. Charles, the longest-serving heir in British history as well as other members of the royal family such as Prince William, his son and now the heir to the throne, have increased their responsibilities as the queen’s health declined.
Charles will be formally proclaimed as the new sovereign on Friday at St. James’s Palace and his regnal name will be Charles III.
When Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, Winston Churchill was Britain’s prime minister and Harry Truman was the president of the United States. The queen had over 170 individuals serve as her realms’ prime ministers throughout her reign including 15 in the United Kingdom. She most recently appointed her 15th on Tuesday, Liz Truss. In a break with tradition, she met Truss at Balmoral instead of traveling back to Buckingham Palace, on account of her poor health.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
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