What Happened To Queen Elizabeth II Today? The nation’s longest-reigning monarch passed away this afternoon aged 96 at her private royal residence in the Scottish Highlands, one of her favourite places, surrounded by close family. The Prince of Wales is now King, having acceded to the throne immediately on the death of his mother.
In a statement, the Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Earlier today, the Palace shared a rare update saying doctors were concerned about the 96-year-old head of state’s health.
A Palace spokesman said in a statement just after 12.30pm: “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”
Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex all headed to be at the Queen’s side at her private royal residence in the Scottish Highlands.
What Happened To Queen Elizabeth II Today: Is She Still Alive Or Dead?
Prince Harry, who is currently in the UK with Meghan Markle as part of a mini European tour, also traveled to Balmoral to be with his grandmother while the Duchess stayed behind in London.
Meghan had been planning to accompany Harry to Scotland but there was a change of plan. She may join her husband at a later point.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge remained in Windsor with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis who had their first full day at their new school today.
An RAF plane landed in Aberdeen just before 4pm carrying the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of York and the Wessexes.
Prince William drove the royals as part of a fleet of cars which arrived at Balmoral soon after 5pm.
Crowds began gathering outside Buckingham Palace this afternoon on a bleak day in central London.
Concern for the beloved Queen, who celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June, has been heightened in the past year.
She had been suffering from ongoing mobility issues and rarely carried out engagements outside of her royal residences in recent months.
The Queen looked bright but frail at Balmoral on Tuesday (Image: PA)
Her Majesty was evaluated by her doctors this morning amid increasing concerns for her health
Buckingham Palace has declined to give an ongoing commentary on the monarch’s health.
She looked bright but frail when she appointed Liz Truss as Prime Minister at Balmoral Castle on Tuesday.
It was a busy day for the head of state who also accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson at her private royal residence in Aberdeenshire.
The Queen postponed a virtual Privy Council meeting on Wednesday after being advised by royal doctors to rest.
It comes after the head of state celebrated her historic Platinum Jubilee milestone of 70 years on the throne this year.
The Duke of Cambridge travelled to Scotland, Kate remained in Windsor with their children (Image: GETTY)
The Duke of Sussex rushed to Balmoral (Image: GETTY)
During the celebrations, she only travelled to Buckingham Palace twice, making appearances on the balcony for Trooping the Colour and the pageant finale to the delight of royal fans.
The monarch had been mainly based at Windsor Castle since the Covid pandemic struck back in March 2020.
She spent a night in hospital for tests last October and missed a series of key royal engagements after being ordered by doctors to rest.
She caught Covid in February and experienced mild cold-like symptoms.
The Queen is the only British monarch to have celebrated a Platinum Jubilee with her reign stretching from the post-war years into the 21st century.
She used her Jubilee milestone to set her affairs in order, backing the Duchess of Cornwall to be Queen Consort when Prince Charles is King.
However, she faced royal troubles in recent years including Megxit and the scandal over Prince Andrew.
The Queen’s beloved husband Prince Philip, who she was married to for 73 years, died in April 2021.
Tearful crowd gathers outside Buckingham Palace as news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death spreads
Tearful faces could be seen in outside the gates of Buckingham Palace on Thursday, as news spread of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Below, crowds gather along the road leading to the Palace gates — where a statement announcing her death was just posted, per tradition.
Quiet singing of “God Save the Queen” has broken out across the gathered crowd.
Charles immediately became King upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth
The Royal family referred to Charles as King in announcing death of Queen Elizabeth. The tweet referred to Camila as the Queen Consort. II.
As heir apparent since the age of three, he has been the longest serving heir to the throne in British history.
Upon becoming the sovereign, Charles has the option to take any name he chooses for his reign as King. For example, King George VI’s real name was actually Albert. Two previous monarchs have been called Charles.
Charles had already been taking on some of the Queen’s engagements this year as her health had become enough of a concern for her to cancel some of her commitments, including the State Opening of Parliament.
Both Charles and Prince William had been prioritizing the Queen’s diary over theirs. Both of them had been activated as Counsellors of State, where the Queen delegates her sovereign power for specific purposes, and they were obligated to be even more available for those duties.
White House reacts to Queen’s death: “Our hearts and our thoughts go to the family members of the Queen”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reacted Thursday to the news that Queen Elizabeth II has died at 96, saying that “our hearts and our thoughts” go to the family and the people of the United Kingdom.
“Our hearts and our thoughts go to the family members of the Queen, goes to the people of United Kingdom. I don’t want to get ahead of what the President is going to say,” Jean-Pierre said at the end of the White House press briefing, reacting live to the news of the Queen’s passing.
Queen devoted to her duties until the very end
“My life will always be devoted to your service.”
It was a vow she made repeatedly throughout her record-breaking reign, most recently in a message marking the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
Elizabeth II may not have been born to be monarch, but once fate had intervened, she steadfastly committed her time on earth to duty and service.
Even in the twilight years of her life, as many speculated on whether she might step back or perhaps even abdicate, she remained resolute in her devotion to her role.
As the coronavirus pandemic swept the world in 2020, the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, retreated from London to Windsor Castle. As in other times of crisis, the nation sought reassurance from the monarch, who evoked wartime references before firmly declaring “we will succeed.”
Keen to remain a presence in public life amid the lockdowns and social distancing measures, she pivoted like many of us did and began working from home, participating in virtual engagements and undertaking more calls.
Following the Duke of Edinburgh’s death in April 2021, she resumed her royal duties with typical steadfastness.
Her first public appearance took place a month after the death of her “strength and stay” with the State Opening of Parliament.
She tested positive for Covid-19 in February 2022, though she continued with some of her light duties despite suffering from mild cold-like symptoms.
In July, she traveled to her private Scottish home of Balmoral for the start of her traditional summer break. On Sept. 6, the Queen received former Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Balmoral Castle as he left office before she greeted Liz Truss to ask her to form a government and become prime minister. The historic audience was the first time the 96-year-old monarch carried out the key duty at her retreat in Aberdeenshire, rather than at London’s Buckingham Palace.
News of her death truly marks the end of an era for the United Kingdom, with most of its people having known no other monarch at their head.
Last Updated on September 8, 2022 by 247 News Around The World
