On Thursday, September 8, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96. Shortly after 6:00PM, Buckingham Palace announced: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. "The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." Following the death of the beloved monarch, her eldest son has now ascended the throne and will be known officially as King Charles III. And despite rumors of the monarch's health deteriorating over the last few years, it has always been reported that it would be incredibly unlikely that Queen Elizabeth II would ever abdicate the throne. (Abdication is essentially a monarch's resignation.) <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]] Funnily enough, Queen Elizabeth II was never born to be queen. She originally became heir apparent after her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne in December 1936 when the UK government opposed his proposal to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. Edward VIII was then succeeded by his younger brother, George VI - Queen Elizabeth II's father. And on her 21st birthday in 1947 - nearly five years before she would become Queen - then then-Princess Elizabeth spoke out in one of her first radio broadcasts. Speaking from Cape Town, South Africa, during a tour with her family, the young Princess vowed to her nation that - when it was her time to reign - she would do so for her entire life. <img class="size-large wp-image-1263168525" src="https://img.vt.co/2022/09/2HX5HKE-760x1024.jpg" alt="" width="760" height="1024" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: SuperStock / Alamy]] "I can make my solemn act of dedication with a whole Empire listening," she said. "I should like to make that dedication now. "It is very simple. "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." Watch the address below: [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yDDqO4dH3c]] She concluded her address by saying: "God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it." Earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years as the nation's monarch - the longest reign in the nation's history. Following the celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II reflected on her reign in a statement, saying: "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." <h6>Featured image credit: SuperStock / Alamy</h6>

At the age of 21 - before she was crowned - Queen Elizabeth II vowed never to abdicate the throne

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