Photo Courtesy: BBC News
By: Autumn Klein
Today was the end of an era for Britain as the Queen passed away this afternoon. According to information provided from Buckingham Palace, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was 96 years old.
The Queen’s doctors became concerned about her health earlier in the day. Shortly after she was placed under medical supervision, the senior royals and all the Queen’s children traveled to Balmoral to be with her. Her two grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry, also joined the family in Scotland.
Queen Elizabeth has been in the throne since 1952 – meaning her reign has spanned over the course of seven decades. Due to her highly influential and impressively long reign, she is known to be the most recognized woman in the world. She was known to engage with the public through walkabouts, royal visits and attendance at public events. She was crowned at the time Winston Churchill was prime minister and would go on to hold weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout the entirety of her reign. Her time as Queen spanned 15 different prime ministers. She also made it a point to visit every Commonwealth country at least once during her reign, showing her commitment to the Commonwealth.
The Queen’s eldest son, Charles III, will succeed her and immediately be named King of the United Kingdom. King Charles’ wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will now take the title of Queen Consort. According to a Twitter post from the Royal Family, the two were with the Queen this afternoon in Balmoral and plan to return to London tomorrow. King Charles III is expected to address the nation upon his return.
There are plans for 10 days of commemoration, followed by an expected state funeral in two weeks. The funeral will be held in Westminster Abbey.