Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, and the nation’s figurehead has died.
The Queen died peacefully at the Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom, on Thursday, 8 September 2022 aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.
Queen Elizabeth’s passing comes more than a year after her husband, Philip died aged 99 in April 2021.
Since his death, her own health faltered, and she was forced to miss an increasing number of events mainly due to ‘mobility problems’ and tiredness.
With the Queen’s death, her 73-year-old eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new king and head of state for 14 commonwealth realms.
Prince Charles will be known as King Charles III.
In a statement, Charles described his mother’s death “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family”, adding: “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world”.
Indeed, the impact of the Queen’s demise will be huge and unpredictable, both for the nation and for the monarchy, an institution she helped stabilise and modernise across decades of enormous social change and family scandals.
