Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96

Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms, has died at the age of 96. She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish residence Balmoral Castle. The announcement was made via the British royal family's official Twitter account. She is succeeded by her eldest son, Charles.

As recently as Tuesday, the Queen was photographed meeting Liz Truss, the new British prime minister, at Balmoral. On Wednesday, it was reported that the Queen would not virtually attend a meeting of the Privy Council, a body that advises the British monarch, because her doctors had advised her to rest. Buckingham Palace issued a statement Thursday morning saying that the Queen's doctors were concerned about her health and had recommended she remain under medical supervision.

Samir Hussein/WireImage Queen Elizabeth II

Born in London in 1926, Queen Elizabeth II was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1936, following the abdication of King Edward VIII. At this time Elizabeth became the heir presumptive. Called "Lilibet" by her close family, Elizabeth was educated as a girl at home alongside her younger sister and only sibling, Princess Margaret.

In November 1947, Elizabeth — who had already begun undertaking public duties during the Second World War — married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark with whom she had been exchanging letters since they met, when she was just 13 years old. Elizabeth and Philip wed on Nov. 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey and remained married until Philip's death at the age of 99 on April 9, 2021. Following their nuptials, the couple initially leased Windlesham Moor, near Windsor Castle, before taking up residence at Clarence House in London in July 1949.

Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles, on Nov. 14, 1948. She and Philip went on to have three more children: Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip learned of the death of her father while visiting Kenya, and Elizabeth immediately ascended to the throne. Queen Elizabeth II's coronation took place on June 2, 1953. The ceremony was carried out at Westminster Abbey and, for the first time ever, televised, allowing people around the world to witness the event.

Tim Graham/Getty Images Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen's reign was long and mostly peaceful, despite vast changes across her country, the evolution of the Commonwealth, and the rise of anti-monarchist sentiment in Britain over the decades. She celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne, earlier this year. The milestone was commemorated throughout her realms, the wider Commonwealth, and beyond.

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth made hundreds of state visits to other countries and tours of the Commonwealth, making her the most widely traveled head of state to date. In 2011, she became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland since 1911, when all of Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom.

The Queen — who surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, to become the longest-living British monarch on Dec. 21, 2007 — has been portrayed many times in pop culture. Helen Mirren is perhaps the most well-known actress to have played her in film, in 2006's The Queen, for which she won an Academy Award. On television, both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman have portrayed the Queen on Netflix's The Crown. Imelda Staunton is set to play her in the upcoming fifth season of the streaming giant's regal drama.

Soon after the news of her death, the Queen's son Charles, the new King, issued a statement.

"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all the members of my family," he wrote. "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."

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