September 8, 2022

Queen Elizabeth II passes away at the age of 96: her son Charles succeeds her on the throne as King Charles III

worldnrinews January 9, 2018

LONDON Sept 8: Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign took Britain from the age of steam to the era of the smartphone, and who oversaw the largely peaceful breakup of an empire that once spanned the globe, has died. She was 96.

She died peacefully at her estate in Balmoral, Scotland on the afternoon of Sept. 8, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.

Ascending the throne in 1952, Elizabeth led the UK through a time of political upheaval. She began her reign as head of an empire, albeit one in decline. By the time of her death, the future of the UK itself was in doubt, with recurrent calls for independence in Scotland and Britain’s exit from the European Union leading to renewed tension in Northern Ireland.

Elizabeth became the UK’s longest-serving monarch in 2015, when she surpassed the record of Queen Victoria, who had ruled from 1837 to 1901. The partner whom Elizabeth described as her “strength and stay,” Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, died in April 2021, at 99.

Her eldest son, Charles, succeeds her on the throne as King Charles III.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother,” he said in a statement. “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country.”