Queen Elizabeth II is dead, nation mourns

The United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died Thursday, September 8 2022.

The Monarch died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning over the United Kingdom for good 70 years, hence the longest-serving monarch.

The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.

Her family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday.

With her demise, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will sit in as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms, leading the country in mourning.

In a statement, His Majesty the King said: “The death of my beloved mother Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

“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.”

He said during the period of mourning and change, he and his family would be “comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held”.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

“The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

The Queen’s children traveled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.

In a time when monarchies across the world seemed to be losing steam and public appeal, Late Queen Elizabeth II steered the British monarchy into a path of continuous relevance and impact.

The deceased Queen, before her death, held the record of being Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. Succeeding her father, King George VI, in 1953, Elizabeth had carried herself in a manner that befits a true monarch for well 70 years. Her ability to keep up with the changing times earned her enormous praise from all corners of the world and many had deemed it fit to join the nation to mourn her death.