Elizabeth II dies, eternal Queen of the United Kingdom and one of the great figures of the 20th century

Euskaraz irakurri: Elisabet II.a, Erresuma Batuko erregina eta XX. mendeko ikur handienetakoa, zendu da

The Queen Isabel IIthe longest-lived monarch in the history of the United Kingdom with 70 years of reign and one of the great figures of the 20th century, has passed away this Thursday, September 8 at the age of 96. His son, the Prince of Wales, will be proclaimed the new king this Friday named Charles III.

Two facts show the historical importance of Isabel II: when she ascended the throne in 1953, the Prime Minister Winston Churchilland worldwide, only Louis XIVthe ‘Sun King’ of France, reigned longest: 72 years and 110 days between 1643 and 1715.

Official confirmation of the death came hours after Buckingham Palace said doctors had expressed “concern” about the monarch’s health and recommended that she remain “under medical supervision” at Balmoral Castle, Scotland.

But what at first glance seemed to be just an update on the health of the Queen, who has had to suspend several operations in recent months due to her delicate health condition, hid some clues that suggested news of greater relevance: The monarch’s family rushed to Scotland, including her four children, including… Charles of Wales, prince and future king, with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles. The princes have come too Willem Y Harry, grandchildren of Elizabeth II. In addition, Buckingham Palace had canceled the changing of the guard, which was to take place tomorrow, Friday, and the public broadcaster BBC He had changed his programming.

During her 70-year reign, Elizabeth II has seen 15 prime ministers pass by and gained widespread support from British citizens, despite the scandals that regularly rocked the royal family.

During the last years of his life, he has continued to perform public engagements, although the pace slowed after the year of virtual isolation he spent during the COVID-19 pandemic, even after being vaccinated. She contracted the disease in February 2022, when she was already suffering from mobility problems.

Thus, especially from 2022, he began to cut back significantly on his public appearances. For example, at the age of 96 he did not attend the traditional parties in the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse and this week received the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, in Balmoral (Scotland) instead of London.

2021 was also the year Elizabeth II faced the death of her husband, Philip of Edinburgh, whom she married in 1947 and had four children: Carlos, Ana, Andrés and Eduardo. The Duke died on April 9, a few months before his 100th birthday and with seven decades in the shadow of his wife, who had to fire him alone due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Queen attended several events to celebrate the anniversary, such as the light ceremony. The UK celebrated the anniversary in style, with a program of events including street parties, a concert with some of the world’s most famous entertainers and a chance to see some of the Queen’s homes up close.

Charles of Wales, new king

The Queen, who was married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh for 73 years until his death in April 2021, has four children, eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. The order of succession dictates that the eldest son will ascend to the throne in the event the monarch dies or abdicates, rules that were changed in 2013 to ensure sons were not preferred over their older sisters, if any.

In this way, Prince Charles, who turns 74 in November, is the Queen’s heir and will ascend the throne after the death of his mother. Second in the line of succession is Prince William, while his eldest son, Prince George, is in third place.

Queen Elizabeth II is a constitutional monarch and although she is the head of state of the UK, her powers are symbolic and ceremonial and she remains politically neutral. For example, the Queen did not take a position on the Scottish independence referendum or the Brexit vote. Likewise, it has one of its powers to appoint the government by inviting the leader of the party that wins in the general election and to dissolve the executive branch before the election.

The monarch is also the head of state of 14 other Commonwealth countries, a group that shrank in 2021 after Barbados became a republic. Several Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Jamaica and Saint Kitts and Nevis, have also indicated their intention to follow in Barbados’ footsteps.