Mackenzie Latest On Queen Elizabeth II Death, As Prince Charles Becomes King
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history has died at age 96.
Tributes poured in as Buckingham Palace announced that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II had died.
The 96-year-old monarch—who ascended the throne when Winston Churchill was prime minister and the nation was recovering from World War II—passed away at her residence in Balmoral, Scotland.
She was a symbol of stability in an era of sweeping social and political change.
The queen’s eldest son, Charles, 73, becomes Britain’s new monarch, and will be known as King Charles III. In his first statement, the king said the queen’s death would be felt “by countless people around the world.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Charles has spent nearly his entire life in waiting as heir to the British throne, watching his mother navigate decades of social and political change.
The 73-year-old king, who will reign as Charles III, was by his mother’s side in Balmoral on Thursday as she died at age 96. For nearly a decade, his mother had gradually handed over responsibilities to her son in preparation for his eventual succession.
“Her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” King Charles said in a statement soon after his mother’s death.
Unlike his mother, who was in her 20s when she became queen and deferred to more experienced courtiers inherited from her father, King Charles has had decades to study for the role.
He is the oldest man to ascend to the British throne, eclipsing William IV, who took over in 1830 at the age of 64.
About Post Author
