London (AP) – Buckingham Palace reports Queen Elizabeth II has died at age 96. Queen Elizabeth II was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, holding the throne for over 70 years. The Queen was under medical supervision this morning after reportedly feeling ill.
Queen Elizabeth became Queen in 1952 at 25 years old following her father, King George VI’s death. Britain’s citizens credit the Queen with rebuilding the U.K following the war and transforming the country’s economy. The Queen’s image is one of the most reproduced in the world, adorning stamps, coins, and currency.
In 1947, the future Queen married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Prince Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles taking the anglicized surname of his mother’s family, calling himself Lt. Philip Mountbatten. The couple was married for 73 years until Prince Philip’s death last April.
The Queen’s eldest son Charles, Prince of Wales, is now the King. However, his coronation may not occur for months after the Queen’s passing. Members of his direct family have ascended in the line of succession. Succession traditionally falls to the firstborn child of the heir and their children, followed by the next oldest sibling of the heir and their offspring.
Elizabeth is survived by her three sons, Charles, Prince of Wales; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; her daughter, Anne, Princess Royal; her eight grandchildren, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex; Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie; Peter and Zara Phillips; Lady Louise Windsor; and James, Viscount Severn, and 12 great-grandchildren.
