Photo: Vanity Fair

Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain and 15 other Commonwealth realms, has died at the age of 96.

She died peacefully at her Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle, on Thursday afternoon. The news broke through the official Twitter account of the British royal family.

Charles is next in line to the throne. 

Most recently, the Queen was caught meeting with Britain’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, in Balmoral on Tuesday. It was announced later on Wednesday that she will not be attending a virtual meeting of the Privy Council, the body that advises Her Majesty, because of her doctor’s recommendation to rest. 

Buckingham Palace released a statement Thursday morning saying the Queen’s doctors were concerned about her health and advised her to be under close medical surveillance.

Queen Elizabeth II was born in London in 1926. She was the first daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, who became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1936 after King Edward VIII abdicated.

During this time, Elizabeth became the heir presumptive to the throne. Known as “Lilibet” by her immediate family, Elizabeth was homeschooled with her younger sister and her only sister, Princess Margaret.

In November 1947, already embarking on public duties during the Cold War, Elizabeth tied the knot with Philip Mountbatten, former Prince of Greece and Denmark. The couple had been exchanging letters since the day they met when she was 13.

Elizabeth married Philip in Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947 and remained married to Philip until his death on 9 April 2021.

After their marriage, the two first rented Windlesham Moor, near Windsor Castle, before settling at Clarence House, London in July 1949.

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How Elizabeth II Carried Her Duties

Elizabeth’s reign was long and peaceful, although there were visible changes throughout her country, the evolution of the Commonwealth, and the existence of anti-monarchist thinking in Britain in recent decades. 

Earlier this year, she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, passing the 70-year mark on the throne. The achievement was honored across her realms, the wider Commonwealth, and beyond. 

Queen Elizabeth has done countless state visits to other nations and Commonwealth tours throughout her reign. This made her the most widely traveled head of state until now. 

The Queen had many milestones in her life, including her surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the longest-living British monarch on December 21, 2007. She has also been portrayed several times in pop culture. 

Shortly after her death, the Queen’s son Charles, the new King, released a statement. 

“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all the members of my family,” he began. 

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”

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