On Thursday September 9th, Queen Elizabeth II passed away due to undisclosed health complications. Born on April 21st of 1926, the 96-year-old monarch died at Balmoral Castle, her estate in the Scottish Highlands.
Beginning in February 1952, the Queen has reigned over the UK for over seventy years, making her the longest reigning monarch in British History, as well as one of the oldest in the world.
The saying “God save the Queen” has now shifted into “God save the King”, since the next ruler of Great Britain’s monarchy is Queen Elizabeth’s son, Charles III. Being the heir to the throne, he must now be the face of England.
Many of the strong opinions on the Queen’s death revolve around her role as the figurative head of a once colonizing power that has left its mark on the world, especially in former British colonies in the Caribbean and Africa.
“They killed and tortured my people and didn’t care. She’s not a part of my people so I couldn’t care less,” Mr. O’Brien, a math teacher at MLEC, stated.
Yet, the world still mourns the stability and strength she provided, such as during the bombing of London in World War II and in helping the future monarch grieve the passing of his mother, Princess Diana, in the 90s.
“Both William and Harry have mentioned in multiple interviews over the last few years how important a role the Queen played after their mother’s death in keeping them protected and cared for,” Mrs. Green, a MLEC language arts teacher, mentioned.
Queen Elizabeth has modernized the monarchy in many ways, including enacting the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013, which removed gender preference in succession to the Crown. She also broke tradition to honor those lost in 9/11 by playing The Star Spangled Banner instead of the standard anthem, “God Save the Queen”, during the Changing of the Guard on the twentieth anniversary.
After years of dedicated service to her country, the Queen is now at rest. While the Queen’s family and the UK grieve her death, the next era of reign starts. All that is left to do is to watch how events unfold, including the state funeral that will be attended by government leaders around the world and the coronation of King Charles III, which is expected to occur next year.
