Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
The BBC played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” over a portrait of her in full regalia as her death was announced, and the flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-staff as the second Elizabethan age came to a close.
The impact of her loss will be huge and unpredictable, both for the nation and for the monarchy, an institution she helped stabilize and modernize across decades of huge social change and family scandals.
Here’s what to know about Queen Elizabeth — and what’s next for the country.
Oct. 13, 1940: Elizabeth makes first public speech at age 14 on the BBC Children’s Hour to reassure children who had been separated from their parents during the Blitz.
June 2, 1953: Crowned in a grand coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. She sets out on a tour of the Commonwealth, visiting places including Bermuda, Fiji, Tonga, Australia, and Gibraltar.
2002: Elizabeth marks 50 years of reign with her Golden Jubilee. The year also sees the deaths of Elizabeth’s mother and her sister, Margaret.
Feb. 6, 2022: Elizabeth becomes first British monarch to reach a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years as sovereign.
>>> Read more here
Advertisement
Queen Elizabeth II often gave the impression of a serious demeanor, and many have noted her “poker face,” but those who knew her described her as having a mischievous sense of humor and a talent for mimicry in private company.
Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has said the queen could be “extremely funny in private — and not everybody appreciates how funny she can be.”
>>> Read more here
Advertisement
The British monarchy’s rules state that “a new sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.” That means Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Prince Charles, became king immediately upon her death.
In Elizabeth’s case, her coronation came on June 2, 1953 — 16 months after her accession on Feb. 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died.
>>> Read more here
>>> After a lifetime of preparation, Charles takes the British throne
Advertisement
When Queen Elizabeth II visited us in 1959 — just six years into her 70-year reign — she had a secret, Chicago.
It was also the only stop in the United States for Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, during a 15,000-mile, 45-day tour of all the Canadian provinces and four of the Great Lakes.
>>> Read more here
>>> Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s 14-hour visit to Chicago: An hour-by-hour timeline
Advertisement
Queen Elizabeth was not, of course, an ordinary citizen. She was the only queen most Britons ever had known. It is rare in Britain to meet someone who has a memory of George VI as monarch, although a few such souls remain.
>>> Read more here
