Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 different sovereign states during her life and served as monarch of 15 of them at the time of her death. 

On September 8th, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away. The royal family announced her death online, saying she had died peacefully. The

announcement did not specify a cause. Her death elevated her eldest son, Charles, to the throne as King Charles III. Many people will mourn her death around the world as she was very impactful and well known in the areas in which she was known as Queen.

Queen Elizabeth II ushered the monarchy into a new and radically different era. Her reign blended the ancient and the modern. When she became queen, the country was still reeling from the memory of the Second World War. Her coronation in 1953 was the first royal event of its kind to be broadcast live on television.

As the first British monarch since Queen Victoria to celebrate a Golden Jubilee, Elizabeth traveled more than 40,000 miles that year, including visits to the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. She also visited 70 cities and towns in 50 counties in the United Kingdom.

At the time of her birth, most people did not realize Elizabeth would someday become the queen of Great Britain. She got to enjoy the first decade of her life with all the privileges of being a royal without the pressures of being the heir apparent. When Elizabeth’s grandfather George V died in 1936, his eldest son (Elizabeth’s uncle) became King Edward VIII. Edward, however, was in love with American divorcée Wallis Simpson and had to choose between the crown and his heart. In the end, Edward chose Simpson and abdicated the crown.

The event changed the course of her life, making her the heir presumptive to the British crown. Her father has crowned King George VI in 1937, taking on the name George to emphasize continuity with his father. Her mother became Queen Elizabeth; on King George’s death in 1952, she became Queen Mother and her daughter became Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen went on to rule for 70 years before her passing on Thursday, September 8th, 2022. She will long be remembered and her life will always be celebrated and talked about for years to come.