Queen Elizabeth II dies at age 96. Charles automatically transforms into king

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, officially Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, died at 96 years, this Thursday (8), in Scotland. Her eldest son Charles, until then Duke of Wales, immediately becomes king.

In an official statement, King Charles announced that it is “one of the saddest days for him and his family”. ” and who “deeply regrets the passing of the esteemed queen and much-loved mother.”

Queen Elizabeth was born in 21 of April 1926 , in London, England. Became Queen of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth on 6 February 1952.

Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As the daughter of a younger son of King George V, young Elizabeth had little prospect of ascending the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII (later Duke of Windsor), abdicated, making Elizabeth’s father King George VI, and she , heiress presumptive.

Her education as a princess was supervised by her mother, who hired a governess, Marion Crawford; Elizabeth also took special lessons in history, music and languages. During World War II, Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret Rose spent most of their time safely at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

In

, it was announced that Elizabeth was married to a distant cousin, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy, former Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 96. On the eve of the wedding, her father, George VI, bestowed on her groom the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron of Greenwich. They took up residence at Clarence House in London. The first child, now King Charles (Charles Philip Arthur George), was born in 15 November 1950, at Buckingham Palace.

On

, King George VI fell ill. In 1952, during trips in which Elizabeth was already representative of the kingdom, she learned of her father’s death and automatically became queen.

With the accession of Queen Elizabeth, her son, then Prince Charles, became heir apparent; he was named Prince of Wales in 26 July

. Elizabeth’s other children are Princess Anne (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise), born in 10 of August 1952 and raised as a royal princess in 1992 ; Prince Andrew (Andrew Albert Christian Edward), born on 19 February, 1977, and created Duke of York in 1964; and Prince Edward (Edward Anthony Richard Louis), born 10 March 1964, and created Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn in 1999. All these children have the surname “of Windsor”, but in 1952 Elizabeth decided to create the hyphenated name Mountbatten-Windsor for other descendants not named Prince or princess and royal highness. Elizabeth’s first grandchild (son of Princess Anne) was born on 15 November of 1964.

In the decade of 1990, however, the royal family faced a number of challenges. In 1987, Prince Charles and his wife Diana, Princess of Wales split, as did Prince Andrew and his wife Sarah, Duchess of York. Furthermore, Anne divorced and a fire destroyed the royal residence at Windsor Castle. Furthermore, as the country struggled with a recession, resentment over the royal lifestyle grew, and in 1987, Elizabeth agreed to pay taxes on her private income.

The separation and divorce of Charles and the immensely popular Diana in 1996 further eroded support for the royal family, which was seen by some as old-fashioned and insensitive. Criticism intensified following Diana’s death in 1997, especially after Elizabeth refused to allow the national flag to be flown at half-mast over Buckingham Palace. In keeping with her earlier attempts to modernize the monarchy, the queen later sought to present a less stuffy and less traditional image of the monarchy.

Health problems

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Queen Elizabeth continued to perform a great deal of engagements until the age of ninety. She was forced, however, to reduce her schedule this year, due to mobility issues.

In recent years, the monarch has suffered some health-related episodes. In 2003, she had an operation on her knees. Ten years later, she was hospitalized due to gastroenteritis.

In October of last year, the queen was hospitalized for “preliminary investigations”, as the palace said at the time.

In February of this year, Elizabeth contracted Covid-19 and suffered mild symptoms of cold, but continued with light duties. Since she had the illness, the queen has been forced to more regularly cancel or cut back on some events. That’s why Elizabeth didn’t attend all the June Platinum Jubilee celebrations – marking her 21 years on the throne – and missed the state opening of Parliament the previous month due to mobility issues.

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