On September 8, 2022 Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, died at the age of 96 at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her death was very unexpected and shocked the whole world.  

“I was at school when I found out about Queen Elizabeth’s death and I was shocked,  it was all over the news and social media, it was something that nobody was expecting,” said junior Genny Matello. 

Prince Philip was Elizabeth’s husband for nearly 74 years before his death in April 2021. The couple, who are second cousins removed, fell in love as teenagers. Their first encounter was in 1934, at the nuptials of Philip’s cousin Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, Duke of Kent. 

After their first encounter, Philip and Elizabeth both knew that they were the loves of each other’s lives. The engagement of the two was announced on July 9, 1947 and the wedding took place just four months later on November 20, 1947. Their marriage then lasted for 7.4 decades. 

“I got married to my husband Joe when I was 18 and he was 20, I knew I was going to marry him the first time I saw him when I was 16 and here we are, married for 46 years, So I know how Elizabeth felt about Philip because I feel the same way about Joe”, said Plains resident Sharon Bunk. 

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip welcomed four children over the course of their 74-year marriage: the newly-crowned King Charles II, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. Each child loved and cared for their parents unconditionally. 

By the time Elizabeth was 96, she had eight grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. The British royal family now has 22 members.  

“I have five grandchildren and I love each and every one of them so much, I can only imagine how much love Queen Elizabeth felt with eight grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren”, said Plains resident Joe Bunk. 

Not only was Queen Elizabeth the queen of the United Kingdom, she also accomplished major achievements in her life.

When Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, she became the head of Commonwealth realms – a group of sovereign territories and protectorates that consider the Queen as the head of state. Now in 2022, there are 14 states that fall under the Commonwealth realm, including Jamaica, Grenada, Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, etc. These countries are also members of the Commonwealth of Nations of which the Queen serves as the head. 

She also served as an important symbol for national identity and pride. Elizabeth kept up with social media and trends regarding her age, in 1997 she launched a website that details the charitable activities and works of the royal family. 

In order to show her support of digital communication platforms, she made her first tweet in 2014. Five years later, in March 2019, the Queen made her first Instagram post during her visit to the British Science Museum in London. 

On September 19, 2022, the Queens Funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. The funeral contained over 2,000 guests, the smaller service containing 800. The coffin was carried by a horse-drawn gun carriage of Britain’s Royal Navy, alongside dozens of uniformed sailors. Members of Elizabeth’s family, including Charles and his eldest son, the new Prince of Wales, William, will likely follow the coffin in a procession. 

The queen was a major figurehead within the realms of Britain and will be greatly missed by many, condolences go out to her loved ones.