Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Queen Elizabeth died peacefully at her home in Scotland on Thursday at the age of 96. She was Britain'...
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| Image: Reuters |
The new king, Her Majesty The Queen's oldest son Charles, said, "The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a time of great sadness for me and all of my family."
"We are very sad about the death of a much-loved Sovereign and mother. I'm sure that her death will be very sad for everyone in the country, the Realms, and the Commonwealth, as well as for many people all over the world "In a statement, the 73-year-old man said.
The queen's doctors told her family shortly after noon on Thursday that her health was getting worse. They put her under medical supervision, and her family rushed to Scotland to be with her.
Thousands of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace in the centre of London. When the flag was lowered to half-mast, there was a stunned silence. When the notice about the death of the only monarch most Britons had ever known was put on the black iron gates, the crowd rushed to the gates.
Officials from the royal family said that King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, would stay at Balmoral Castle, where the queen died, until Friday, when he is expected to speak to the country and meet with Prime Minister Liz Truss. No one knows yet what will happen at the funeral.
When Elizabeth died, Charles became the monarch of the United Kingdom and the leader of 14 other realms, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the coming days, he is likely to go to every country in the United Kingdom.
'HUGE SHOCK TO THE NATION'
Since the end of last year, the queen has had what Buckingham Palace called "episodic mobility problems," which have kept her from almost all of her public appearances. Her husband died last year.
She didn't finish her job until Tuesday, when she made Truss the 15th prime minister 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.
"Queen Elizabeth II gave us the stability and strength we needed through good times and bad. She was the soul of Great Britain, and that soul will live on "Truss, who found out about the death at 4:30 p.m. London time, said, "I'm very sorry."
The news shocked people all over the world, not just in Britain. Leaders from all over the world sent their condolences.
In a statement, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said, "Her legacy will be a big part of British history and the history of our world." He told the White House to fly its flags at half-mast.
In honour of her death, the mayor of Paris said that the lights on the Eiffel Tower would be turned off. In Brazil, the government declared three days of mourning, and both the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations stood for a moment of silence.
Even Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country's relations with Britain have gotten worse because of the war in Ukraine, sent his condolences, calling it a "irreparable loss."
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.
PLEDGED TO SERVE
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, just as so many of you have promised to serve me. I will work hard my whole life and from the bottom of my heart to earn your trust "she told her people in a speech on the day she was crowned.
Even though she was only about 5ft 3ins tall, she ruled any room she walked into. She was known for her bright clothes and is said to have said, "You have to see me to believe me."
When Elizabeth became queen, Britain still had a lot of its old empire. It was just getting over the damage of World War II, and food rationing and class and privilege were still big parts of life.
At the time, Winston Churchill was the prime minister of Britain, Josef Stalin was in charge of the Soviet Union, and the Korean War was going on.
In the years that followed, Elizabeth saw a lot of political and social change at home and around the world. The problems in her own family, especially the split between Charles and his first wife, Diana, who died in 1997, were in the public eye.
Elizabeth tried to make the old institution of monarchy fit the needs of the modern world while still being a symbol of stability and continuity for the people of Britain during a time when the economy was not doing so well.
In a 2012 documentary, her grandson Prince William, who is now the heir to the throne, said, "She has done more than anyone else to modernise and change the monarchy."
RECORDS
Elizabeth was the 40th monarch in a line that started with William the Conqueror, a Norman king who won the English throne at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 by defeating the Anglo-Saxon ruler Harold II.
Due to her long rule, she broke many records for British rulers. When she was on the throne longer than her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who was on the throne for more than 63 years, she said it was not a goal she had ever had.
"A long life always has many turning points, and mine is no different," she said.
Her marriage to Prince Philip lasted 73 years, until he died in April 2021. Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward were their four children.
She never talked to the media, and people who didn't like her said she seemed cold and unapproachable.
But she was respected and admired by the vast majority of the people who lived under her rule. When she died, an era came to an end.
"When people around the world said "the queen," they really meant our queen," said John Major, who used to be Prime Minister. "In every part of the world, that was how people saw her. It was really something to see."
Opinion polls show that Charles doesn't have nearly as much support as Elizabeth, and some people think that the loss of Elizabeth could lead to a rise in republicanism, especially in the other realms.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said, "We know that in losing our beloved queen, we have lost the person whose unwavering loyalty, service, and humility helped us understand who we are through decades of extraordinary change in our world, nation, and society."
At the time of her death, the queen was also the head of state of Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
