Remembering Queen Elizabeth II.
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. said goodbye to the world on September 8th at the age of 96. „London Bride is down”, said the protocol code. We all probably remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news. In a way, history stops when such a significant figure passes away. Why was she an important monarch, and what happens after The Queen dies? This article will give you the answers.
She was the longest-ruling monarch in the history of Britain, with a total of 70 years of service. She served her country during times of both crisis and celebration and will be greatly missed by the UK and the Commonwealth. The Queen’s passing has already left a great impact on Great Britain, and there are many more changes to come.
When we hear the public say she was something special, it is not just because she ruled for so long. Born in 1926, Elizabeth spent 5 months with the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she learned the basics of motor mechanics and driving skills. Just at the age of 18! At the height of World War II., her relationship with her third cousin, Prince Phillip, started to evolve to a romantic level. They got married at Westminster Abbey in 1947, and with that, Prince Phillip took the title of the Duke of Edinburgh. They had 4 children together.
Queen Elizabeth II. started her life as a queen at the age of 25, when her father, King George VI., passed away from lung cancer. She became the 6th female monarch of Great Britain. On June 2nd 1953, her formal coronation took place in Westminster Abbey. It was broadcasted on television with an audience estimated at around 20 million people.
She was known as a monarch who liked to solve problems by her hand. She could handle serious issues, like the Suez Crisis in 1956. She also took numerous state trips wherever it was needed. It is certain that the most troublesome years of her reign were the 1990s. Windsor Castle went up in flames, her children got divorced, and her daughter-in-law Princess Diana passed away in a horrible car accident. With her forever calmness, she could handle the most challenging situations staidly. She was known to have genuine kindness towards everyone she met. She was a big animal lover too, she was the happiest when she was with her corgis and horses. She owned over 30 corgis in her lifetime.
One of her aims as Queen was to modernise the monarchy. She began her annual Christmas broadcasts in 1957. It was a great way to send something personal back to her admirers. Through the creation of the royal family website, they could connect with people in methods no royals had ever done before. Although the British Empire’s power decreased through the years, Queen Elizabeth retained her international footprint by travelling more than any of her ancestors. By making trips to almost every one of the Commonwealth nations, she made sure to always show her support for all the British alliances.
Every day of her working life, she was presented with a red box full of state papers. Her Majesty could keep up with the actual political state through weekly meetings with the prime ministers, and of course, she always remained politically neutral. She developed a close relationship with Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1952, the first prime minister of the 15 she worked with during her reign. She believed that public and voluntary service was one of the most important elements of her work, she had links with over 500 charities.
We can say that she was there for her nation until the very end. She poured some hope into people’s hearts during the coronavirus pandemic with a national address video. In 2021 her beloved husband Prince Phillip passed away. She was grieving, but she showed no sign of self-pity. Celebrations rose in 2022, as we began the platinum jubilee of Her Majesty’s 70 years of service. She welcomed Prime Minister Liz Truss just two days before her passing.
On September 8th, Queen Elizabeth II. closed her eyes for the final time. There is a strict protocol that the British government and the royal family have to go through, this is called „Operation London Bridge”. Her state funeral took place in Westminster Abbey on September 19th, and she was laid to rest in St George’s Castle. The Queen’s corgis will be sent to live with Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York. The Queen’s oldest son, Charles immediately becomes king after her passing. He is the oldest person to ever inherit the throne. On September 10th, he was officially proclaimed as King of The United Kingdom. However, the coronation of him and his wife Queen Consort Camilla is due on 6th May 2023. Prince William is now the first in line to inherit the throne. Coins and cash will be printed with the King’s portrait on them. And of course, the British anthem will now have „God save the King” as lyrics.
Sources: bbc.com, royal.uk, youtube.com, history.com, cnn.com, townandcountrymag.com, wikipedia.org, cosmopolitan.com
