On Thursday, Sept. 8, Buckingham Palace reported that Queen Elizabeth II of England "died peacefully…this afternoon” at the age of 96 at her estate at the Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The union flag atop Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast at 6:30 p.m. BST on Sept. 8. Following her death, her oldest son, Charles, will reign as King and Head of State.
The Queen’s 70-year-long reign was the longest reigning monarch in UK history. Queen Elizabeth II was a champion for social change and progress. She reigned through England’s transition from an Empire to a commonwealth, the Cold War and the UK’s entrance and exit of the European Union.
Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II’s first-born son, is in line to reign as King and the Head of State of England. Charles had already stepped up to take on some responsibilities of the Queen over the past few years with her old age. His coronation will take place at a later date and traditionally occurs at Westminster Abbey. Prince William is now first in line to Charles.
By Freya Dahlgren, Features Editor
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