On the tragic day of September 8th, 2022 at 3:10 pm, Queen Elizabeth II of England unexpectedly died at the age of 96 in Balmoral Castle. Queen Elizabeth II, who was born in Mayfair, London in 1926, was the longest-reigning English monarch in history, ruling for over seven decades. She first ascended to the throne in 1953 in Westminster after the death of her father George VI. During her reign, she was the reagent of 32 independent countries and had 15 different prime ministers at the time of her death starting with Winston Churchill.

Doctors first noticed her declining health way back in 2021, as problems with mobility forced her son, now King Charles III, and other members of the monarchy, to attend and speak on her behalf. Despite her declining health, she still managed to survive even after being tested positive and treated for COVID-19, which kills mostly the older population. Her health problems eventually became too much though, as she was placed under medical supervision the day she died while in her Scottish estate. She died a couple of hours after this news was released to the public.

The English Parliament continues to mourn her death, saying that she was “the rock on which modern Britain was built.” (Prime Minister Liz Truss) Other political figures all around the world offered their condolences for this great loss of an English sovereign, with even some non-English flags around the world at half-mast on the day of her death. However, her death did spark some negative memories from former British colonies, denouncing the British for their historical mistreatment.

We can all agree that the death of Queen Elizabeth II was a great loss to both Britain and the world. As Britain continues to mourn her death, they are also making preparations for the newly coronated King Charles III to take the place of the former queen and keep her legacy alive long after her tragic death.