Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at the age of 96. After 70 years on the throne, the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms died in Balmoral, Scotland at the age of 96 on Thursday, September 8. A statement from Buckingham Palace stated that Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon and the new King and Queen consort will remain in Balmoral for the evening, and will return to London tomorrow (Friday). The heartbreaking news comes after Buckingham Palace shared the news that her doctors had become concerned with her health and had placed her under "medical supervision". Many members of the Royal Family - including Prince William, Prince Charles, the Duke of York, Princess Anne, and the Earl of Wessex - traveled to Balmoral to be with her. Queen Elizabeth II - who was the eldest daughter of King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - is the longest-reigning British monarch in history. <img class="wp-image-1263125987 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/09/Queen-FI-Website-1.jpg" alt="" width="1535" height="800" />[[imagecaption|| Featured image credit: Alamy / REUTERS]] On February 6, 1952, at the age of 25, Her Royal Highness ascended to the throne following the death of her father. She was 27 years old when she was coronated on June 2, 1953. Initially, she was not born to be a queen. In fact, her father, whose given name was Albert Frederick Arthur George, became king only after his older brother King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry an American woman, Wallis Simpson. As she prepared to take over the throne before the King's death, the Queen's marriage to her distant cousin Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy was announced in 1947. The marriage took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947, and on the eve of the wedding, her father granted the bridegroom the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. <img class="wp-image-1263168442 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2022/09/marriagequeen.jpg" alt="" width="1535" height="798" />[[imagecaption|| The wedding day of Princess Elizabeth of York and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Credit:Classic Image / Alamy]] They took residence at Clarence House in London and had their first child, Prince Charles (Charles Philip Arthur George), who was born on November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace. Within their marriage, the royal couple had other children: Princess Anne, born August 15, 1950, Prince Andrew (Andrew Albert Christian Edward), born February 19, 1960, and Prince Edward (Edward Anthony Richard Louis), born March 10, 1964. After the summer of 1951, King George VI's health entered into a serious decline, and the Queen - who was a princess at the time - began her royal obligations by representing him at the Trooping the Colour and on various other state occasions. After the King's death, Her Majesty moved into Buckingham Palace and undertook the routine duties of the sovereign after three months of mourning. She carried out her first state opening of Parliament on November 4, 1952. <img class="wp-image-1263168440 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2022/09/D57NRT-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1831" />[[imagecaption|| Queen Elizabeth's coronation on June 2 1953 with prince Charles, Princess Anne, Duke of Edinburgh present. Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy]] Her coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, and decades later, she became an important figurehead for the United Kingdom and a much-respected icon across the globe. Last year, the Royal Family was rocked by the death of Prince Philip at the age of 99 - bringing an end to their 73-year marriage. <img class="size-large wp-image-1263105090" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/04/2F9HM25-1024x681.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="681" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images / Alamy]] The Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee on February 6, 2022, which included four days of celebrations and an extended bank holiday to mark 70 years of service to the British people. During a weekend of celebrations, she put smiles on millions of faces when she appeared alongside Paddington Bear for a playful sketch. Following the momentous occasion, the Queen said in a statement: "When it comes to how to mark seventy years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee. "While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family." On Tuesday, one of the Queen's final duties was to appoint Liz Truss the new UK prime minister. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1567855353878007809]] The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles - the UK's longest-serving heir apparent - will be next in line for the throne following his mother's death. When he does ascend to the throne, he will become the oldest serving king in British history at the age of 73. His wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - who has been married to Charles for 16 years - will become Queen Consort.  The title was confirmed by the Queen herself during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Our thoughts are with the Queen's family, friends, and citizens of the UK. <h6>Featured image credit: Alamy / REUTERS</h6>

Queen Elizabeth II has passed away

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