Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - On Friday, Britain's King Charles will speak to a country in mourning. His mother, Queen Elizabeth, ...
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| Image: Reuters |
Charles, who rushed to be with the queen before she died at her Scottish home on Thursday, was supposed to go back to London with his wife Camilla, who is now Queen Consort, before meeting with the prime minister and making a televised statement.
The death of the queen, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and a towering figure on the world stage for seven decades, has brought condolences from all over the world.
At first light in London, people were still leaving flowers in front of Buckingham Palace, and condolence messages were written on billboards all over the city. There were photo tributes to the queen on the front pages of newspapers.
On Thursday, thousands of people had gathered in front of the queen's palace. When they heard the news, they were speechless as the flag was lowered to half-mast.
Many people said they were shocked by the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who was the only monarch most Britons had ever known.
"We've always looked up to her," a teary-eyed retiree named Christine West told Reuters outside the queen's home in Windsor Castle, west of London. "We're all sad about it."
Charles, who became automatically the monarch of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, said that the death was a very sad time for him and his family.
In a statement, the 73-year-old said, "We deeply mourn the loss of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother." "Her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms, and the Commonwealth, as well as by many people around the world," he said.
On Friday, he will meet with Prime Minister Liz Truss and then give a speech to the whole country. Gun salutes will also happen.
The queen's doctors said in a statement around noon on Thursday that she was under medical supervision, which made her family rush to Scotland.
Since the end of last year, the queen has had what Buckingham Palace called "episodic mobility problems," which have kept her from going to almost all of her public events. Prince Philip, who was married to her for 73 years, died in 2021.
Her last public duty was making Truss prime minister on Tuesday, which was the 15th year of her reign.
"The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the country and the world," Truss said outside her office on Downing Street, where the flag was lowered, as it was at all royal palaces and government buildings in Britain.
"Through good times and bad, Queen Elizabeth II gave us the stability and strength we needed. She was the soul of Great Britain, and that soul will live on."
SEVEN DECADE REIGN
The news shocked people all over the world, not just in Britain. Leaders from all over the world sent their condolences.
"Her legacy will be a big part of British history and the history of our whole world," said U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement.
Queen Elizabeth II was the oldest and longest-ruling head of state in the world. She took the throne on February 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died. She was only 25 years old at the time.
The next year, in June, she was crowned. The first televised coronation was the start of a new era in which the media would pay more and more attention to the lives of the royals.
"I have truly promised to serve you, as so many of you have promised to serve me. I will work my whole life and with all my heart to be worthy of your trust," she said in a speech to her people on the day she became queen.
Elizabeth became queen at a time when Britain still had a lot of its old empire. Winston Churchill was the prime minister of Britain at the time, and Josef Stalin was in charge of the Soviet Union. The Korean War was also going on.
Without its symbol of continuity and strength, the Queen, Britain starts its new era in a deep economic crisis, with tensions with Europe and a public that is tired of politics after years of scandals and fights.
