Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom has passed away following a brief illness. She was 96 years old. Elizabeth’s reign began when she was 25, making her the second-longest ruling monarch in documented history behind France’s Louis XIV. The daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth II married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, in 1947. Philip never became king, but would be married to the queen for 73 years, until his death in 2021. He and Elizabeth had four children together: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
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While the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and the Royal Family is now largely ceremonial, its popularity in the country remains high. While the family has been a bit embattled over the last few years, the aging queen was seen as the stable center and has remained generally beloved.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” said the Royal Family on Twitter. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
During the course of Elizabeth II’s reign, the size of the empire has shrunk significantly following decolonialization in Africa and greater autonomy being granted to Northern Ireland and Scotland. Scotland is, actually, the location of Balmoral, a castle owned by the Queen which served as her summer residence. It was there her family gathered on Thursday after doctors advised the queen to rest in place.
While the Royal Family announced the Queen’s death via the Associated Press, Prime Minister Liz Truss will make the first official statement by the government. On Tuesday, the queen spent the day at Balmoral formally appointing Truss and overseeing a day-long symbolic transfer of power following the resignation of Boris Johnson. Traditionally a new Prime Minister is appointed at Buckingham Palace, but the venue was changed due to the Queen’s “mobility problems,” the palace said in a statement. Wednesday, she cancelled a meeting with other government ministers after her doctors advised her to take it easy for a while after the long day.
According to Operation London Bridge, a detailed succession plan leaked to The Guardian, Charles will be sworn in tomorrow. Once the queen’s body arrives at Westminster, she will lie in state for three days before her funeral. As King, Charles will tour the empire, attending ceremonies and accepting condolences from regional representatives.
As a long-reigning and mostly popular monarch whose tenure has spanned almost the entirety of the television age, it’s no surprise that Elizabeth has appeared in numerous film and TV projects over the years, both as a character and sometimes as a guest. Earlier this year, as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (which marked the 70th anniversary of her ascent to the throne), an original short film featuring Elizabeth and Paddington Bear premiered on the BBC, a collaboration of the BBC, Heyday Films, and Buckingham Palace.
The award-winning TV series The Crown traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 until the early 21st century. The first four seasons are currently on Netflix, with the fifth season’s release date yet to be announced after a hiatus in filming. In April, rumors emerged that Netflix and Left Bank are in talks for a prequel, which would start with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and end around the time of Elizabeth and Philip’s wedding.
