Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on April 21st, 1926. She became an heir to the throne in 1936. That year, her dad unexpectedly became king when she was only 10 years old. Elizabeth was crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey on June 2nd, 1953. She was the longest-living monarch in the world! 

Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away on Thursday, September 8th in Balmoral Castle. People were waiting outside of Buckingham Palace to hear the horrifying news officially announced at the home of the monarchy. Many were already crying. The flag was lowered to half-mast in order to announce her death to the world, and a note was posted on the fence of the palace. Queen Elizabeth died from natural causes. King Charles, her son, says he will take care of England just like his mother did. 

After several days of mourning, a funeral was held. Billions watched the ceremonies on television and online, grieving alongside the royal family. Many people were invited to grieve in person as well. The funeral was held at Westminster Abbey, the same place she was crowned queen years before, on September 19, 2022. Schools in Britain were closed, allowing all to properly respect and mourn the loss of their monarch. There were all restrictions across the nation that kept citizens from visiting the movie theaters that day.

Everything was very peaceful at the funeral. Many Navy soldiers topped the queen’s coffin with a royal garment. Over 2,000 people were at the funeral! Archbishop Justin Welbey called the queen joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives (“Everything to know about the Queen’s funeral”). Towards the end of the ceremony, people got to share their last words with the queen, and then the 45-minute processional began. 

Before the queen was interred, thousands of people lined up in front of the church to also say their goodbyes to their queen. Many also greeted the other royal family members and shared their condolences with them. Queen Elizabeth will be remembered fondly for all the wonderful things she did for her country. She was loved dearly by many across the world.