Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96 |09 September 2022
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II, the world's oldest head of state at 96 years old, died yesterday, ending the longest reign in British history.
According to reports from Buckingham Palace, the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral yesterday. The King and the Queen Consort remained at Balmoral last night and will return to London today.
Following the Queen’s death, her eldest son and heir, Charles, the former Prince of Wales, has become King of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth realms.
King Charles immediately issued a statement in which he said: "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother.
"I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
"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."
On Tuesday, this week, Queen Elizabeth II welcomed Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government. This was the 15th prime minister she had welcomed.
Born in London on April 21, 1926, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was third in line to the throne behind her uncle and father. She became Queen in 1952 at the age of 25, when her father, King George VI, died. Her coronation took place 16 months later at Westminster Abbey.
During her record-breaking reign, she dedicated her life to serving her country and Commonwealth.
In a radio address in 1947 on her 21st birthday, she said: "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."
The Queen held a number of other titles, which will now automatically pass to her son and heir.
She was head of the Commonwealth, commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, and supreme governor of the Church of England. She was also patron of more than 600 charities and organisations.
Away from her official duties, she was a devoted wife and mother to four children, and dedicated grandmother to eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
In 1947, she married her wartime sweetheart Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey, with a relatively simple ceremony as the country was still recovering from the war.
King George VI wrote to her about his feelings about giving her away: "I was so proud of you and thrilled at having you so close to me on our long walk in Westminster Abbey, but when I handed your hand to the Archbishop I felt that I had lost something very precious."
The Queen gave birth to Prince Charles in 1948 and to Princess Anne two years later. Prince Andrew and Prince Edward ‒ who were born in 1960 and 1964 respectively ‒ were the first children to be born to a reigning monarch since Queen Victoria had her family.
Until his death in 2021, the Duke of Edinburgh, "her beloved husband", was always by the Queen's side.
She described the Duke as her "constant strength and stay" and in 2017 the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, the only royal couple to ever reach their platinum anniversary.
Seychelles having being a British Crown Colony from 1903 before gaining independence from the British on June 29, 1976, the Queen visited our country once ‒ in 1972.
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, she arrived on Mahé to a musical welcome from church bells and a Creole band. She visited Seychelles to open the Seychelles International Airport on March 20, 1972, seven months after the landing of the first commercial flight to Seychelles.
Former President James Michel, who attended an audience with Queen Elizabeth II on February 23, 2012 at Buckingham Palace during his Guest of Government to the UK on the occasion of Her Majesty’s Diamond jubilee, has sent a message to King Charles.
He wrote:
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.
“During her remarkable 70 years of reign, Her Majesty exemplified steadfast loyalty and duty to her people, promoting British interests and values both at home and abroad. She was loved, revered and respected throughout the world and a source of inspiration for many leaders. Her Majesty provided steadfast leadership to the Commonwealth, serving our family of nations selflessly, with dignity and great honour.
“Her legacy will continue to inspire present and successive generations and live on in our memories.”
Compiled by Gerard Govinden
