Death of a Monarch

On September 8th, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96. She died peacefully in Balmoral, Scotland with her family.

The phrase, “Londen bridge is down” was spoken all across England on Thursday evening, telling everyone that the queen was dead and plans were to be set in motion for her funeral and her son’s succession to the throne.

After news spread of the Queen being placed under medical supervision, well wishers gathered outside Buckingham Palace. They began crying when news of the Queen’s death reached them, and the palace flag was lowered to half mast.

Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years after ascending to the throne in 1952. In those 70 years she witnessed the cold war, the UK’s entrance and exit from the European union, and the office of 15 prime ministers.

After Queen Elizabeth II’s death, her son, Charles III, is now king of England and his wife, Camilla, is Queen Consort. The new king is already seventy at the start of his reign, a reminder of just how long Elizabeth was on the throne.

Although the U.S. no longer answers to the English monarchy, there is still a feeling of great loss across the nation and the world. Queen Elizabeth II was a living monument to the twentieth century; a living memory of the Great Depression, World War II, the Holocaust, the birth of the United Nations, the Cold War and the fall of the USSR. Her passing is a reminder of time’s endless march onwards, and the importance of remembering the past so we don’t repeat it.