Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s Longest-reigning Monarch, Died At 96 After 70-year Reign

Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, her summer residence aged 96. Her seven-decade reign endured tectonic shifts in her country’s post-imperial society and successive challenges posed by the romantic choices, missteps, and scandals of her descendants.

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

Before that, Buckingham Palace announced yesterday morning that the Queen was under medical monitoring and that her closest family members had traveled to Scotland. Her children, Prince Charles (73), Princess Anne (72), Prince Andrew (62), and Prince Edward (58), traveled to Balmoral after the news. Prince William, Charles’s son, also appeared.

Her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms upon her death.

Queen Elizabeth With Numbers You Probably Didn’t Know

Coronation on June 2, 1953

The succession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne took place on February 6, 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II is crowned queen of the United Kingdom on June 2, 1953, in a ceremony steeped in traditions dating back a century. A thousand dignitaries and visitors attended the coronation in Westminster Abbey in London, while hundreds of millions listened on the radio and, for the first time, watched the ceremonies live on television. Millions of wet onlookers applauded the 27-year-old queen and her husband, the 31-year-old duke of Edinburgh, as they traveled along a five-mile journey in a gilded horse-drawn carriage after the ceremony.

More than 70 years of Reign

Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for more than seventy years, making her Britain’s longest-reigning queen. Matt Glassman of the private Georgetown University in Washington (USA) tweeted that, since the establishment of the US Constitution, Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for up to 30 percent of US history. In 1788, the Constitution was approved and legally implemented.

Over 70 years of Marriage

The seven-decade-long relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip is one for the record books. From co-ruling, a nation to starting a huge family, a detailed chronology of their relationship is provided here.

• In 1934, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip first met.
• They got married on November 20, 1947.
• They had four children together and now have grandkids and great-grandchildren.
• Prince Philip died away on April 9, 2021, at age 99, after 73 years of marriage.

The couple celebrated their 73rd and last wedding anniversary on November 20, 2020. In commemoration of the occasion, Buckingham Palace issued a photograph of the Queen and Philip examining a card created by three of their great-grandchildren: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, the children of Prince William and Duchess Kate.

The Queen and her 15 Prime Ministers

Upon her accession to the throne on 6 February 1952, Queen Elizabeth II presided over 32 distinct sovereign entities; by the time of her passing, there were 15 states known as Commonwealth countries. In each realm under the Westminster system, the Queen’s administration was led by a prime minister. Appointment and removal of prime ministers were common reserve powers that the Queen or her governor-general might use.

Throughout her reign, the Queen appointed over 170 individuals as the prime ministers of her realms; the first was Dudley Senanayake as the prime minister of Ceylon, and the last was Liz Truss as the prime minister of the United Kingdom; some of these individuals served multiple non-consecutive terms (within the same state) as prime minister. Several of the Queen’s prime ministers from other kingdoms were appointed for life to the United Kingdom’s Privy Council.

The Queen and 30 Corgis

She was renowned for her affection for animals. She adored horses and had more than 100 of them, but her corgis may have been her dearest friends. In her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth II had more than 30 corgis. The Queen often spends time in rural areas, riding horses and strolling her pets. Corgi dogs have become part of the public image of the British royal family.

The Queen was loyal to her corgis, despite their propensity for biting the ankles of attendants. Her first, Susan, was a gift from her parents on her 18th birthday in 1944. The Queen fell in love with her father’s Pembrokeshire corgi, Dookie, and desired one of her own. Susan built the royal dog dynasty for the Queen, although she was not always well-behaved. She bit a royal clock winder on the ankle and had a penchant for biting the legs of slaves. Whisky, her grandson, allegedly tore the seat out of a Guards officer’s trousers.

No Passport or Driver’s License

The Queen may have visited 116 countries, but she never needs to carry her passport. While everyone else must wait in line at customs, Her Majesty may glide through as she is not required to own one. In addition, she never has to carry any travel documents or identify herself to immigration agents.

This is because exceptions are always made for the reigning British Queen, whose passports are issued in her name, whenever she travels. On the Royal Family website, it states: “When traveling abroad, The Queen does not need a British passport. Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.” However, the rest of her family, including Prince Philip and Prince Charles, must hold a passport.

Queen Elizabeth’s Achievement

Queen Elizabeth’s proudest achievement was maintaining the monarchy’s appeal through decades of seismic political, social, and cultural upheaval that threatened to render it obsolete.

Elizabeth, who ruled longer than any previous British Queen, helped bring the institution into the contemporary world by removing court ceremonies and making it considerably more open and accessible, all under the watchful eye of an increasingly invasive and sometimes unfriendly media.

While the country she ruled sometimes battled to find its place in a new international order and her family often failed to meet popular expectations, the Queen remained a symbol of stability. She also attempted to overcome class distinctions and garnered the reluctant respect of even the most diehard Republicans.

To most of the world, she was the embodiment of Britain, but as an individual, she remained something of a mystery, seldom giving interviews and rarely showing emotion or voicing a personal viewpoint in public – a lady recognized by millions but known by few. To remember The Queen, Drama Shirt has created a Queen Elizabeth II-themed Collection for you! Please contact us if you would like to have customized products!