Saturday, April 20, 2024
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BREAKING: Queen Elizabeth dies

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Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

Her family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday.

The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.

With her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms.

In a statement, His Majesty The King said: “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.”

In a statement, Buckingham 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.”

All the Queen’s children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.

Her grandson, Prince William, is also there, with his brother, Prince Harry, on his way.

Queen Elizabeth II’s tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK’s entry into – and withdrawal from – the European Union.

Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Liz Truss, born 101 years later in 1975, and appointed by the Queen earlier this week.

She held weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout her reign.

At Buckingham Palace in London, crowds awaiting updates on the Queen’s condition began crying as they heard of her death. The Union flag on top of the palace was lowered to half-mast at 18:30 BST.

The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926.

Few could have foreseen she would become monarch but in December 1936 her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne to marry the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.

Elizabeth’s father became King George VI and, at age 10, Lilibet, as she was known in the family, became heir to the throne.

Within three years, Britain was at war with Nazi Germany. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, spent much of wartime at Windsor Castle after their parents rejected suggestions they be evacuated to Canada.

After turning 18, Elizabeth spent five months with the Auxiliary Territorial Service and learned basic motor mechanic and driving skills. “I began to understand the esprit de corps that flourishes in the face of adversity,” she recalled later.

Through the war, she exchanged letters with her third cousin, Philip, Prince of Greece, who was serving in the Royal Navy. Their romance blossomed and the couple married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947, with the prince taking the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

She would later describe him as “my strength and stay” through 74 years of marriage, before his death in 2021, aged 99.

To mark their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on 20 November 2007, the Queen and Prince Philip re-visit Broadlands where 60 years ago in November 1947 they spent their wedding nightTIM GRAHAM/PA

The Duke of Edinburgh was at the Queen’s side for more than six decades of reign, becoming the longest-serving consort in British history in 2009

Their first son, Charles, was born in 1948, followed by Princess Anne, in 1950, Prince Andrew, in 1960, and Prince Edward, in 1964. Between them, they gave their parents eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya in 1952, representing the ailing King, when Philip broke the news that her father had died. She immediately returned to London as the new Queen.

“It was all a very sudden kind of taking on and making the best job you can,” she later recalled.

Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, aged 27, in front of a then-record TV audience estimated at more than 20 million people.

Subsequent decades would see great change, with the end of the British Empire overseas and the swinging ’60s sweeping away social norms at home.

Elizabeth reformed the monarchy for this less deferential age, engaging with the public through walkabouts, royal visits and attendance at public events. Her commitment to the Commonwealth was a constant – she visited every Commonwealth country at least once.

But there were periods of private and public pain. In 1992, the Queen’s “annus horribilis”, fire devastated Windsor Castle – a private residence as well as working palace – and three of her children’s marriages broke down.

After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car accident in Paris in 1997, the Queen drew criticism for appearing reluctant to respond publicly.

There were questions about the monarchy’s relevance in modern society.

“No institution… should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t,” she acknowledged.

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28 COMMENTS

  2. This is absolutely a joyous day for us all, Finally!! This is definitely a cause for much celebration.

    F**k Queen Elizabeth II.

    • Shut ya mouth living in ya little wood house complaining bout everyone, spreading evil ya nobody…

      … Just waiting for you to say she’s the reason you still living in ya can and blaming some bs slavery that was long before anyones time…. Fool

    • Repulsive comment. F U ignorant twit. Go to the USA and buy a gun. Sell your soul to the Chinese and Russians and corruption! Antigua is going to hell. Africa is brimming with corrupt black politicians too. You ignorant hateful P..nis

    • Hmmm…are you by any chance someone who blames everyone else for why your life hasn’t worked out? Was it because of slavery? Or because you were born into poverty perhaps? And yet many of your Caribbean brothers and sisters have made great successes of their lives! Do yourself a favour, buy a mirror and see your real problem! P.s. YOU were NOT emancipated!! Slavery ended here in 1834, that’s SEVEN generations ago! Time to move on now!!

    • @imancipated

      Regardless of your thoughts on the monarchy… This is a woman who gave nothing but service to her people, in every way. She didn’t get to choose the life she was born in to, but chose how to do her best for the people that she represented with that life. If only more public servants were like her!!!!

      You show your ignorance in the fact that you can use that language about a 96 year old woman… A mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

      Be thankful that you can do as you please every day without anyone watching you… She has lived a long life having to watch everything she does, but yet did everything with grace and dignity!

    • @Imancipated: Are you really Emancipated? Are you really free? Your comment does not speak for me. I respected and liked Queen Elizabeth II. RIP,Queen Elizabeth II.

  3. Son of Mami_Wata and Papa_Elegba knows that, at each and every #crossroad, there resides a SWASTIKA!

    Has she being cloned? De #Harlot Throne fu bun innah dem own hell.

  5. They should not have given her the 💉💉all cause mortality increases. Life expectancy 3-5 years.

  8. Monarchies are unnecessary today except for tourism. It is good to hate them and their history. But it is good to be human and feel a sense of loss of a dignified world leader, inspite of it all.

  9. “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14

    “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:12

    “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

  10. The comments here @emancipated are vile. Antigua continues to sell her soul and land to the Chinese, Russians and all of the corrupt people who flock to Antigua to hide money. Our Queen had nothing to do with slavery. Take a good look your history books. Black people were slave traders and continue to sell themselves and lands to the highest bidder! Antiguans and African countries enrich the few and ignore those who are poor. Our Queen was loyal and cared for all regardless of your opinion. God Bless the Queen!

  11. How dare anyone say anything negative about the queen? How dare anyone in a democracy express how they honestly feel about a person, the head of a system, who to them, represents something they don’t like? Death is for everyone, rich or poor, black or white. However, I don’t care if slavery happened five million years ago, we should ask questions. How did the black man benefit? Who made her queen? Were there monarchies in Africa before slavery? Did the monarchy or this person who died, ever apologized for this atrocious act? For apartheid? Nelson Mandela died and people said all kinds of vile things about him, AND he or his leadership never enslaved anyone. What makes Elizabeth different? And this is for @Free and whoever. A man, according to a religion, was crucified over two thousand years ago, and we still talk about that evil act, and are still blaming the man and the system that did it. What makes this death different? Maybe if it wasn’t for that system the black nation may have been different. Who knows, but we better start reteaching history differently. Here’s a clincher @ Free. Would a representative face be now put on our monetary units?

  12. The comments relating to slavery and the Monarchy of The UK’s role with implementing and profiting from that barbaric practice, be it directly and indirectly, past ancestor or present descendant, reiterates the failings of how History, especially Afro-Caribbean History is taught in our schools.

    I am oft amused when I come across past classmates who absolutely detested anything relating to historical studies and are presently solicitors, most of whom received their education at the Westminster Law School, a profession that often requires in-depth research of historical documents, the irony. I guess this is why one will never hear of an Antiguan with a Masters Degree in History.

    I was of the belief it was a generational issue as I was born in the 1970’s, raised on a healthy dose of Pan-Africanism and Tim Hector’s Outlet newspaper, but as I grow older and somewhat wiser I place the blame solely at the feet of our educators because for someone to say, be they members of my generation or the current generation, slavery was abolished in Antigua in 1834 and we should move on as a people irks me. 1834 is only 188 years ago, there a centenarians living today of sound mind that are only 88 years removed from slavery and 88 years is a paltry length of time in the grand scheme of things.

    • Well put my brother. That people will mourn the figure that presided over our continued colonization is beyond me. The Most High will soon totally expose and destroy the system that has brainwashed and enslaved His people.

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