Queen Elizabeth – The end of an era
“,,,and as we wake up to a new day, we mourn the passing of the Queen, the Queen of England, and all the memories and experiences associated with her life.”
For many, the loss of Queen Elizabeth represents the fulfilment of a promise and the realisation of destiny.
On Friday, citizens of Britain and the other countries that make up the commonwealth woke up to find a new queen for the first time in their lifetimes. In his first official address to the British people as king, Charles III returned to London from Scotland to meet with the prime minister.
Charles, who lost his mother on Thursday after a record-setting 70-year reign, has asked for a formal “time of Royal Mourning,” according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning Queen of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s most enduring and instantly identifiable characters passed away at 96 in her favourite Scotland residence, Balmoral Castle.
Over the next week and a half, Britain will go through a period of sorrow and constitutional transition that has been well planned.
It will reflect the sorrow of a grateful people as they say goodbye to a monarch with whom many felt a special bond.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s extraordinary love story is reflected upon in the phrase, “the only man I could ever love.”
Throughout her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II had the constant support of her longtime love and consort, Prince Philip.
Their journey started when they were young toddlers and ended on the day of Philip’s death in 2021.
Historically, the longest-living Queen
Historically, the longest-living QueenGuinness World Records have officially recognised the longevity of Queen Elizabeth II.
On April 21, 2022, Her Majesty turned 96 years old.
Queen Elizabeth triumphed when compared to Queen Victoria, who lived to be 81 years and 244 days.
Queen with the most riches
In terms of money, Queen Elizabeth II was the wealthiest Queen in history. Use as picture
Her fortune was valued at $370 million in 2022 ($425 million in today’s money) by The Sunday Times Rich List.
Olympic benchmark
Only Queen Elizabeth II has inaugurated the Summer Olympics on multiple occasions.
Her Majesty opened the 1976 Montreal Olympics and also the 2012 London Olympics.
The longest royal union
The union of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip is also essential to note. The royal pair married in 1947 and were together for 74 years till Prince Philip passed away in 2021.
She is in nearly every currency in circulation.
Queen Elizabeth broke a world record with her appearance on the number of different currencies.
At one point, her image appeared on the currency of at least 33 countries worldwide.
However, after declaring independence from Britain, some countries began replacing her with other figures.
Intellectual Queen
Queen Elizabeth earned four pertinent academic degrees between 1948 and 1951:
- a doctorate in civil law from Oxford University
- a doctorate in music from the University of Wales
- a doctorate in law from the University of Edinburgh
- a second doctorate in law from the University of London
BAFTA Honor
For her “lifelong support of the British cinema and television industries,” Queen Elizabeth was given an honorary BAFTA award in 2013.
Stage and cinema legend Sir Kenneth Branagh gave the honour to the monarch.
Award in equestrian competition
Queen Elizabeth has a long history of animal advocacy, and in 2014, she became the first recipient of the International Equestrian Federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Princess Haya of Jordan, the FEI president, unveiled it at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace.
Merit Badge for Saving Lives
Queen Elizabeth was honoured with the Life Saving Award in her teenage years.
The Queen discussed this during a phone chat with the Royal Life Saving Society, which works to prevent drownings.
The longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom
Queen Elizabeth II became the monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth upon her father’s death, King George VI, in February 1952.
She was 25 years old at the time. In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her great-great-grandmother Victoria as the monarchy’s longest-reigning Queen.
From June 20, 1837, to January 22, 1901, Victoria was emperor. That is 63 years and 216 days!
There were still ten months of Elizabeth’s reign left in September 2022.
So, Where Does the Monarchy of Great Britain Go From Here?
After the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son, Prince Charles, would assume the throne and rule over the other 14 countries that are part of the Commonwealth as King.
When he takes the throne at age 73, Charles will be the oldest British monarch in history. Since Charles became king upon Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the coronation will not happen until much later, when the profoundly meaningful ceremony can be planned.
For the time being, Britain is in a Period of Mourning that will remain for at least ten days, or until the funeral of the Queen.
When the time comes, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Anglican Church, will preside over the Coronation Ceremony in Westminster Abbey. After being introduced by the archbishop, the new monarch takes the coronation oath in front of an appreciative crowd.
The coronation of a British monarch is rooted in procedures that date back centuries, so it is unlikely that the ceremony will be held any time soon. It took Elizabeth II over a year after her father’s death in 1953 to be crowned Queen.
