Queen of England is no more
-Buckingham Palace formally announces demise of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday
-Elizabeth II was longest serving British Monarch
-British govt announces State mourning for 10 days
-King Charles terms the death of Elizabeth II as a moment of great sadness for him and all members of his family
-President, PM among other World’s leaders express grief over Queen’s demise
From Sardar Shahab
LONDON: Charles Philip Arthur George has become King of England after the death of British longest-serving Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96.
Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, has died aged 96.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Her eldest son Charles, 73, automatically becomes King of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Her family had rushed to be by her side at her Scottish home, Balmoral Castle, after doctors expressed concern about her health. She had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called “episodic mobility problems” since the end of last year, forcing her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements.
Queen Elizabeth II, who was also the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, came to the throne following the death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952.
She was crowned in June the following year. The first televised coronation was a foretaste of a new world in which the lives of the royals were to become increasingly scrutinised by the media.
Television and radio stations interrupted regular programming to broadcast the news, with long-rehearsed special schedules set in place to remember her long life and reign.
The national anthem, “God Save the Queen”, was played. Flags were lowered and church bells tolled to remember a woman once described as the “last global monarch”.
The national mourning period will culminate in a final public farewell at Westminster Abbey in central London.
Charles’ coronation, an elaborate ritual steeped in tradition and history, will take place in the same historic surroundings, as it has for centuries, on a date to be fixed.
King Charles has officially released his first-ever official statement in honor of the ‘life and legacy’ of his mother the Queen.
The statement has been shared via Buckingham Palace and it includes a solemn address by the newly crowned, King of England.
It reads, “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of great sadness for me and all members of my family.”
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother,” it went on to say.
“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.”
Immediately after the news was reported, President Dr Arif Alvi expressed his sincere condolences to the Royal family, the Government and the people of Great Britain.
He said that her departure had left an immense vacuum, difficult to be filled in times to come, a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat said.
The president said that she ascended the throne at a very young age but showed maturity, character, determination, and commitment to the highest order which had made her one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the world.
“Her inspiring leadership qualities propelled her to the status of great and beneficent ruler that would be remembered in golden words in the annals of world history.”
Alvi offered his sincere and heartfelt prayers for the departed soul, adding that thoughts went out to the Royal family members and people of Great Britain at this time of sorrow.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday expressed grief at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, he said, “Deeply grieved at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Pakistan joins the UK & other Commonwealth nations in mourning her death. My heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family, people & government of the UK.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over Queen Elizabeth’s demise and called her a stalwart who “provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people”. “She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise. My thoughts are with her family and people of UK in this sad hour”, PM Modi’s tweet read.
Newly elected PM of the UK, Liz Truss also expressed her sadness and offered her condolences to the Royal Family. Speaking outside Downing Street, she said: “We are all devastated” at the news of the Queen’s death, which is a “huge shock to the nation and the world”.
She described the Queen as “a rock on which modern Britain was built”, adding that “Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, tweeted a picture of the Queen and hailed the impression that she left on the world. “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II embodied the British nation’s continuity and unity for over 70 years. I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century”, Macron tweeted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy too extended his condolences to the UK and the Commonwealth on behalf of his country. “It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. On behalf of the people, we extend sincere condolences to the Royal Family, the entire United Kingdom and the Commonwealth over this irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you”, his tweet read.
Yair Lapid, the PM of Israel, also sent his condolences on behalf of his country and hailed Queen Elizabeth’s seven decades of legacy. “On behalf of the Government and people of Israel, I send my condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”, Lapid tweeted. “She leaves behind an unparalleled legacy of leadership and service. May her memory be for a blessing”.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, in his tweet, remembered the Queen’s constant presence in the life of the Canadians and recalled her service to his nation. “It was with the heaviest of hearts that we learned of the passing of Canada’s longest-reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history”, Trudeau tweeted.
“As we look back at her life and her reign that spanned so many decades, Canadians will always remember and cherish Her Majesty’s wisdom, compassion, and warmth. Our thoughts are with the members of the Royal Family during this most difficult time”, he wrote in a second tweet.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was for most of her subjects the only monarch they have ever known — an immutable figurehead on stamps, banknotes and coins.
Diminutive in stature yet an icon of popular culture, she was instantly recognisable in her brightly coloured suits and matching hat, with pearls, gloves and a handbag.
During her reign, the royals went from stiff, remote figures to tabloid fodder and were then popularised anew in television dramas such as “The Crown,” watched by tens of millions worldwide.
Her time on the throne spanned an era of remarkable change, from the Cold War to the 9/11 attacks, from climate change to coronavirus, “snail mail” and steam ships to email and space exploration.
She became seen as the living embodiment of post-war Britain and a link between the modern era and a bygone age.
The mother of one of the most famous families in the world, she retained huge public support throughout, surviving even a backlash in the wake of the death of Charles’ first wife, Diana, in 1997.
More recently, the royal family was rocked by claims from Prince Harry and his mixed-race wife Meghan of racism in the royal family.
She also endured a scandal involving her second son Prince Andrew, whose friendship with convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell saw him settle a civil claim for sexual assault in the United States.
