Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died on September 8 at the age of 96. Her death at her Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle, was announced by Buckingham Palace shortly after 6 p.m. on Sept. 8 evening. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” a statement from the palace said. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” it read, referring to the former Prince of Wales, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla.
Just on Tuesday, the Queen had ceremonially appointed the country’s 56th Prime Minister, Liz Truss — the 15th during her reign. On Thursday morning the palace said that the Queen had been placed under “medical supervision” at her Balmoral Castle. Many members of her large immediate family, including several children and grandchildren, had gathered by Thursday afternoon at Balmoral. Pictures of the Queen, standing with the help of a cane and shaking hands with the new Prime Minister, Ms Truss, were released on Tuesday. The Queen usually appointed the elected head of government at Buckingham Palace in London but owing to “mobility” issues, had cut back on events this year. The Queen was known to have stuck to her constitutional role, and while maintaining a deep interest in politics (such as through regular audiences with her Prime Ministers), had a reputation for maintaining political neutrality during her seventy-plus years on the throne.
‘Operation Unicorn’
Plans for the Queen’s death and the accession of Charles, 73, to the British throne, are code named Operation London Bridge and Operation Spring Tide respectively. The plans provide details from the “London bridge is down” code used to convey news of the monarch’s passing to the Prime Minister, to design changes to government websites to mark the occasion. If the Queen dies in Balmoral — as she has — another set of steps called ‘Operation Unicorn’ is triggered, according to a 2021 report from Politico. Her body, as per this protocol, is to be brought to London by train or by plane and will be received by Ms. Truss in London. The Prime Minister and the new King are expected to make a statement on Thursday. The funeral, if the reported protocol is followed, is expected to be held on the tenth day following the Queen’s death.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother,” a statement from the new King said. Adding, “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
The Queen was the titular head of 14 Commonwealth countries, including Australia and New Zealand. Barbados became a Republic last November after nearly 400 years of colonial rule. Addressing the nation outside Downing Street, Ms Truss called the monarch’s death “a huge shock” to Britain and the world. “Britain is the great country it is today because of her,” she said.
The Queen had been a ubiquitous figure for an entire generation, especially in Britain, given the sheer length of her reign. “Her love her life of service, stretch beyond most of our living memories,” Ms Truss said, as she called on Britons to support “King Charles III”, suggesting, this is how Charles will be known as king (the question was open as to how he would ‘style ‘ himself when King).
She indicated that a “new era” was upon Britain with the passing of its ‘second Elizabethan age – a description at odds with the sobering facts. The U.K. faces soaring energy costs, inflation higher than seen in four decades, a cost of living crisis and renewed calls for Scottish impudence.
Although there are serious questions about the relevance of the monarchy as an institution today, including its profoundly exploitative and colonial past, the Queen, who ascended the throne in 1952, has remained a popular figure, not just in Britain but also globally. Some 61% of Britons favoured the monarchy, according to a YouGov poll from May 2021. However, republicanism was growing in the 18-24 age group, with a higher share (41% versus 26%) preferring to replace the monarch with an elected head of state in 2021 than two years before that survey.
The Queen visited India three times, in 1961, 1983 and 1997. “Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special,” U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden said in a long statement about the Queen.
