Some world leaders have stood at the heads of
their respective nations for so long, that they are identified with their
position more likely than their predecessors and even successors. This is
especially true for hereditary heads of state who stay that way for life,
especially if they become rather long-lived. When John Paul II died in 2005
after serving over 26 years as Pope, many Christians could not quite remember
anyone else in the post. But there are other monarchs with longer reigns than
that. Look no further than Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Sadly, pop-culture
joke assertions of her seeming immortality proved false this past Thursday.
BBC reports that Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Queen of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, died September 8 at
Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She was 96 years old, just 70 years of which she lived
as Monarch of the UK and Head of the Commonwealth of Nations which includes
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and more countries formerly part of the British
Empire. An initial update this past Thursday noted the Queen as being put under
medical supervision in Balmoral, but that she was in comfortable condition.
Only later did the news break out.
Elizabeth survived her husband and Consort,
Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, for a year following his death in 2021,
but her last days seemed to have been short and abrupt. Only Tuesday, September
6, the Queen appointed Liz Truss, who turned out to be her final Prime
Minister. While many of Elizabeth’s family managed to get to Balmoral Castle in
time to bid her farewell, her grandson Prince Harry arrived minutes after her
passing. Her death triggered the start of an elaborate Royal Funeral plan
codenamed Operation London Bridge. At the same time, various world leaders
joined the world public in paying her tribute. Even the Presidents of warring Russia
and Ukraine found time to pass on their condolences.
Born in 1926, Elizabeth found herself on the path
to Queenship upon the accession of her father as George VI following the abdication
of his brother Edward VIII in December 1936. During World War II, the then-Princess
Elizabeth was an inspirational figure. She and Philip Mountbatten, by birth a Prince
of Greece and Denmark, married in 1947. They would be blessed with four
children. Upon the death of King George in 1952 Elizabeth became Queen.
Following her death, Elizabeth’s firstborn son
Charles, Prince of Wales, was proclaimed King of the UK as Charles III just
this Saturday, September 10. His own son Prince William along with his wife Catherine,
have been elevated as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall. The title of
Prince of Wales must be formally invested by Charles to his heir at a later
date. The same goes for the Coronation of Charles, which must wait until after the
Royal Funeral for Elizabeth II has concluded.
Image courtesy of Forbes
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