Queen Elizabeth II became Queen on the death of her father King George VI on 6 February, 1952. Her reign of 70 years was seven years longer than that of Queen Victoria. She died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, where the Queen’s favorite summer home is situated. The death of the Queen brings an end to the longest reign in the history of the United Kingdom, and one of the longest reigns by any head of state. Elizabeth’s family had been gathering at her Scottish estate in Aberdeenshire after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday.
Monarch has been suffering from age-related mobility issues and had cut down her travels, including appointing new Prime Minister Truss in Scotland earlier this week. Elizabeth II became Queen on the death of her father King George VI on 6 February 1952.
The Queen was served by 15 UK Prime Ministers during her reign, beginning with Winston Churchill in 1952, as well as many Prime Ministers across her Realms. As Head of State, she also acted as diplomat and hostess, welcoming over 110 Presidents and Prime Ministers to the UK on official visits. As Head of the Armed Forces, Queen had strong links to Naval ships, army regiments, and air squadrons both in the UK and throughout all her realms.
Prince Charles Is Now King After Queen Elizabeth ’s Death
Charles arrived back in London after flying from Balmoral and met with prime minister Liz Truss prior to his first national address as monarch this evening. The King was met with chants of “God Save the King” as he shook hands with and chatted with mourners, with Camilla walking close behind a grieving Charles.
As heartfelt tributes continued to pour in from across the globe following her death on Thursday, MPs held a minute’s silence in the Commons, with former PM Boris Johnson recalling being “moved to tears” after being asked in a BBC interview several months ago to discuss the Queen in the past tense. Gun salutes rang out across the country on Friday afternoon, with 96 rounds fired to mark the Queen’s life.
