Queen Elizabeth, one of world’s longest-reigning monarchs, dies at 96
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, one of the world’s longest-serving monarchs and revered around the globe, died Thursday, Buckingham Palace said. She was 96.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace said. The queen was vacationing at the castle in Scotland.
Prince Charles, 73, the first son of the queen and her deceased husband Prince Philip, immediately became King Charles III.
The new king said in a statement, “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.”
As well as being the figurehead for the United Kingdom, she was the sovereign in 14 other countries, including Australia and Canada. The queen was also the head of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 countries, of which 15, including Britain, have the queen as head of state.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss said, “Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed.”
“Throughout her life she has visited more than 100 countries and she has touched the lives of millions around the world,” she said.
The queen maintained good relations with the Japanese imperial family and several reciprocal visits during her reign helped repair the damage done by World War II.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday the queen contributed to cementing bilateral relations, noting her visit to the country in 1975, the first by a British monarch.
“She played a significant role in creating world peace and prosperity,” Kishida said, adding the queen’s death was a “big loss” to the international community.
On Sept. 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth surpassed Queen Victoria’s record, becoming Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. On Feb. 6, 2022, she marked 70 years on the throne.
She was the world’s second-longest reigning monarch of a sovereign state, only having been surpassed by Louis XIV of France, who ruled for 72 years and 110 days from 1643 to 1715.