The news that the Queen Elizabeth II had died was announced by Buckingham Palace 08th September 2022. On Monday, The Queen, who was staying at Balmoral, had overseen the smooth transition of parliamentary power, the resignation of the outgoing Prime minister Boris Johnson and the inauguration of the incoming Prime Minister Elizabeth (Liz) Truss.
Even in her last days, the Queen continued to fulfil her role of duty and service, perhaps recalling at the end of her life her personal oath made at the age of just 21 years;
“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”
Queen Elizabeth II served as Constitutional Monarch for a little over 70 years. Her death brings to an end the longest reign of any British Monarch and the 2nd Elizabethan age. The Queen may be known in future years as Elizabeth “the Great”.
Her eldest son, Charles, now becomes King Charles III, and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Queen Consort.
The King made a statement:
“The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms, and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”
The Queen was the head of State of the United Kingdom, 14 other realms and head of the 54 Nation Commonwealth, including Cyprus.
The Queen’s state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey, possibly on Monday 19th September. She will lie in rest for 24 hours at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, before she is flown to London for her official lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.
The country will observe an official 10 days of mourning, starting when Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral toll their bells and on the first day of mourning, there is expected to be ceremonial gun salutes at Hyde Park and at Tower Hill. There will be a national minute’s silence to allow a moment of reflection.
CRPG 08 September 2022
