Her private secretary, Martin Charteris, later recalled finding the new monarch at her desk, “sitting erect, no tears, color up a little, fully accepting her destiny.” Elizabeth, on a visit to Kenya, was told that she was now queen. In 1952, George VI died at 56 after years of ill health. She was not born to be queen - her father’s elder brother, Prince Edward, was destined for the crown, to be followed by any children he had.īut in 1936, when she was 10, Edward VIII abdicated to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, and Elizabeth’s father became King George VI. She never tired of the companionship of her beloved Welsh corgi dogs.Įlizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in London on April 21, 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. A horse owner, she rarely seemed happier than during the Royal Ascot racing week. Of her personality, the public saw relatively little. Her image, which adorned stamps, coins and banknotes, was among the most reproduced in the world.īut her inner life and opinions remained mostly an enigma. Through countless public events, she probably met more people than anyone in history. Married for more than 73 years to Prince Philip, who died in 2021 at age 99, Elizabeth was matriarch to a royal family whose troubles were a subject of global fascination - amplified by fictionalized accounts such as the TV series “The Crown.” She is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She headed the 54-nation Commonwealth, built around Britain and its former colonies. It was a promise she kept across more than seven decades.ĭespite Britain’s complex and often fraught ties with its former colonies, Elizabeth was widely respected and remained head of state of more than a dozen countries, from Canada to Tuvalu. When Elizabeth was 21, almost five years before she became queen, she promised the people of Britain and the Commonwealth that “my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.” After their marriage fell apart, Diana became the subject of constant surveillance by Britain's notoriously invasive media and she died when her driver tried to flee paparazzi.Ĭharles and other family members arrived at Balmoral Castle in the last moments of Elizabeth's life.īritain was shocked by her death and quickly descended into national mourning. Charles has made a name for himself as an ardent environmentalist and a chief advocate of measures to combat climate change.īut he is also a divisive and complicated figure following the tragic death of his former wife, Princess Diana, in a traffic accident in Paris in 1997. Both regions also have deep grievances with England.Įlizabeth's son, Prince Charles, will take over as monarch. Voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland rejected the idea of leaving the EU. ![]() (Jane Barlow/Pool Photo via AP, File)ĭomestically, the existence of Great Britain itself is under threat because of the possibility that future British monarchs will rule over a diminished kingdom.įollowing the cataclysmic decision by mostly English voters to reject the European Union, independence drives are advancing in Scotland and Northern Ireland and threatening to break apart the U.K. 6, 2022, where Truss was invited to become prime minister and form a new government. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II waits in the Drawing Room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral in Scotland on Tuesday, Sept. She leaves the world stage at a moment of major crisis as a war rages in Ukraine and human survival is threatened by climate change. ![]() Her death resounded around the world and signaled a major turning point.Įlizabeth became queen in 1952 and she oversaw Britain's slow disintegration as an empire, but she was also hailed as a “rock” for a country undergoing massive – and painful – transformations following World War II. The cause of her death was not immediately announced. Still, she tested positive for Covid-19 in February and has suffered numerous health problems in recent years. She died only two days after giving her official blessing to Britain's newest prime minister, Liz Truss, the country's third female leader.Īs the head of the most famous monarchy and one of the world's most influential dynasties, she and her family are the subject of international attention, attracting both adoration and scorn.Įlizabeth's health has been closely guarded for years, causing her to go into seclusion during the coronavirus pandemic out of fear of infection. ![]() She was the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. (CN) - Queen Elizabeth II, the beloved British monarch, died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96.
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