Farewell to Queen Elizabeth II
It is heartbreaking news to hear that Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 years old. Today, we’re looking at her life as a long-reigning monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully during the afternoon of September 8th, 2022, at her estate of Balmoral Castle in Scotland in her sleep. She had been under medical “supervision” due to “concerns” from her doctors. Prince Charles rushed to her mother’s bedside, followed by Prince William, Prince Edward, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Harry. One last official duty the Queen did before her death was meeting with the UK’s new prime minister Elizabeth Truss. She was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and other Commonwealth realms for 70 years and 214 days, the longest of any British monarch, the longest recorded of any female head of state in history, and the second-longest verified reign of any monarch in world history. The longest-serving monarch was Louis XIV of France. The Queen was also head of the armed forces and supreme governor of the Church of England.
Following her passing, her eldest son, Prince Charles, ascended the British throne, becoming King Charles III. Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral will be held today, September 19th, with an expected 2000 people, including members of the monarch’s family, and the event to be broadcasted live by channels like the BBC. The last time a state funeral in the UK got held was that of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965. The Queen will be buried at Windsor Castle with a service at St. George’s Chapel, next to her late husband and Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, previously interred in the Royal Vault beneath St. George’s Chapel in 2021. The Queen will get surrounded by her family in the burial spot, with her parents King George VI, who died in 1952, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who died in 2002, and her sister, Princess Margaret, who also died in 2002.
The Queen had served as monarch for decades, so it’s not surprising that she had also been through a lot over those years. The current royal family comes from the House of Windsor. Queen Elizabeth II served the role of confirming official appointments to the UK Government, as well as representing the Royal Family at countless events. As head of state, the Queen had also signed and approved parliamentary bills. Part of her most high-profile ceremonial duties was the annual State Opening of Parliament in London. Because of her role as a constitutional monarch, she was strictly apolitical and kept her hands out of the inner workings of government. During her reign, she hosted 150 state visits at home, meeting numerous world leaders, including 13 of the last 14 sitting US presidents.
Around Christmas, the Queen was a regular on television, delivering a message to the nation and the Commonwealth for 64 years, substantially written by herself. Her life was like clockwork, including the study of government files sent to her in official red boxes. The Queen even served in the military during World War II in the women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and trained as a truck mechanic. Throughout the 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, the UK people relied on the monarch in times of hardship. Though when she wasn’t working, the Queen usually spent time with her beloved corgis, a breed of dogs. According to Reader’s Digest, the Queen fonded them because of their “energy and untamed spirit.”
However, working in the public eye was never an easy job for the late monarch. Attempted assassinations while Elizabeth II was on worldwide trips and at home proved terrifying. The Queen had shown time and time again not much fear and always handled the situation with calm. One incident was when an intruder successfully entered Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s official residence, even breaking into the monarch’s bedroom. Queen Elizabeth II treated the situation calmly, and the intruder later got escorted out of the palace. That is an important lesson to learn, never panic in unexpected times.
The Queen is remembered by many for her sense of humor, as shown in many cases. In one prerecorded video celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we can see Elizabeth II having tea with an animated version of the famous Paddington Bear in Buckingham Palace, sharing marmalade sandwiches which they both loved. She also appeared in a 2012 Olympics video with James Bond, apparently parachuting from a helicopter into the stadium.
Most of Her Majesty’s whole life got devoted to serving the public and the citizens of the United Kingdom. She always stuck by the people’s side when things dipped toward the worse. It will be sad to lose Queen Elizabeth II, and the UK will miss this monarch that served them for 70 years. May the Queen rest in peace. That’s the end of this production from the New News Newsminute. Thank you for reading.