Today marks the one-year anniversary of <a href="https://vt.co/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-has-passed-away">Queen Elizabeth II’s death</a>, who passed away at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022. Following more than 70 years on the British throne, the late monarch's heartbreaking death was a poignant moment that not only captured the hearts of the whole country but royal supporters across the world. A statement from Buckingham Palace revealed that the Queen passed away peacefully at her beloved home in Balmoral, Scotland - which was one of her favorite places - just two days after undertaking her final public duty. Many members of the Royal Family including Prince William, King Charles, the Duke of York, Princess Anne, and the Earl of Wessex, all traveled to her residence to be with her. <img class="wp-image-1263227515 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/09/GettyImages-133919600.jpg" alt="" width="693" height="1024" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: WPA Pool / Getty]] For over seven decades, the longest-reigning British monarch in history was hemmed into the fabric of the U.K. Her face was on banknotes, and coins, while her title Her Majesty was ornamented on everything from penitentiaries to postboxes. While she served her time on the throne well, it may come as a surprise to some that 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. Prior to the King's death, the late Queen's marriage to her distant cousin Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy was announced in 1947. The wedding took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. The couple took residence at Clarence House in London and had their first child, King Charles (Charles Philip Arthur George), who was born on November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace. They also had other children: Princess Anne, born August 15, 1950, Prince Andrew, born February 19, 1960, and Prince Edward (Edward Anthony Richard Louis), born March 10, 1964. <img class="wp-image-1263227514 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/09/GettyImages-514901398.jpg" alt="" width="865" height="1024" />[[imagecaption|| Queen Elizabeth II after her coronation on June 2, 1953. Credit: Bettmann / Getty]] Her royal highness began her royal obligations after her father's health entered into a serious decline. She represented him at the Trooping the Colour and on several other state occasions. After King George VI's death, the late Queen moved into Buckingham Palace and undertook the routine duties of the sovereign after three months of mourning before her coronation at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. About 70 years later, she had her last public appearance which was appointing the 15th prime minister - Liz Truss. The event took place in Balmoral and was a break from tradition since the Queen was not well enough to make the trip home. <img class="wp-image-1263227512 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/09/GettyImages-1243232627.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="686" />[[imagecaption|| Members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around Queen Elizabeth II's coffin at Westminster Hall. Credit: WPA Pool / Pool / Getty]] Queen Elizabeth II became an important figurehead for the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, as well as a much-respected icon across the globe. She was the royal family's gemstone, popular with the public, and untainted by the House of Windsor’s scandals. In the weeks that followed after the Majesty's death, the British public paid their respects in masses, queuing for as long as 24 hours to attend the <a href="https://vt.co/news/uk/when-and-where-you-can-see-the-queen-lying-in-state-before-her-funeral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lying-in-state</a> in Westminster Hall. World leaders and global royals also flew to London to stand alongside British politicians at the monarch's grand state funeral in Westminster Abbey - which was viewed by more than 29 million viewers in the U.K. and estimated billions more across the globe. Her son immediately ascended to the throne and was officially recognized as King Charles III. On September 9, 2022, the 74-year-old <a href="https://vt.co/news/uk/king-charles-iii-addresses-the-nation-for-the-very-first-time-i-pay-tribute-to-my-mothers-memory">addressed the nation for the first time</a> as King in a pre-recorded message. "To my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you," he said. "Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years. "May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest," The King sweetly added. <h6>Featured image credit: Samir Hussein / Getty</h6>

Today marks the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death

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