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The End of an Era: Queen Elizabeth II Steps Down.After 70 years as head of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth II has announced her intention to step down from her official duties with immediate effect because of her death , making way for the crowning of Prince Charles as King Charles III. The Queen’s reign began on February 6, 1952, when she was 25 years old; her coronation took place on June 2, 1953. Despite being the longest reigning British monarch in history, she still faced criticism in her later years and public opinion polls suggested that only 20% of people in the UK wanted her to remain monarch past 2017.
Her reign has spanned nearly 70 years
The royal household announced that Queen Elizabeth II has decided to retire from public life, making this upcoming year her last as queen. She will be succeeded by her son Prince Charles. The queen’s reign has spanned nearly 70 years, during which she has seen the UK enter into the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Union (EU), where it remains today. But, for many Britons and those beyond Britain’s shores, she will always be remembered for being on hand in times of national crisis including World War Two and the downfall of Communism in Eastern Europe.
Her long list of world records
Queen Elizabeth II has reigned over Britain for more than six decades, the first ever queen to serve for this long. She was our head of state and symbolic of our nation’s stability. It is hard to believe that she will no longer be there when we need her most. Here are a few facts about her life in case you need a refresher- or if you don’t know much about her in the first place.
A look back at her life through photos
Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Her tenure began on February 6, 1952 with her coronation. Seventy years and seven months later, she’s stepping down. The photo below was taken on October 18, 2015 when she traveled to Derry and met face-to-face with Irish republican leader Gerry Adams for the first time since 1918.
Queen Elizabeth II has a life long connection to Ireland, from her military service during World War 2 to serving as president of the International Association of Sinn Féin until 2011. While there is no word on who will be the next head of state once she steps down, it’s likely that Prince Charles will take over and become King Charles III because he is next in line for inheritance.
How she changed our country
After reigning for the last 66 years, Queen Elizabeth II is stepping down on Wednesday, December 10th. As she was born on April 21st in 1926, her coronation served as a celebration at the end of World War II. She will now be joining her predecessors and members of the royal family in retirement. Her eldest son Prince Charles is next in line to become King Charles III, and her daughter Princess Anne will be stepping up to take on more royal duties as a vice-regal representing the monarch’s official duties. Some speculate that Prince William may have his own future monarchial responsibilities ahead of him if he marries his wife Meghan Markle this Spring; but what about all the generations after them?
What she meant to royalty
From 1952-1953, the Queen was pictured for the first time in public in her role as a constitutional monarch. This came after she had given up her original duties as the sovereign. She oversaw the dissolution of British India and spoke to world leaders about their hopes for peace. Even though it would be years before she became a worldwide icon, this was just one small moment of service that helped pave the way for greater things to come. The Royal Family is known to their country and they have been steady pillars throughout difficult times and have always seemed to have new faces waiting behind them when a member leaves. For now, there’s talk about who will succeed Queen Elizabeth II as she steps down from her throne but it is not confirmed who that will be yet.
What she meant to England as a whole
Throughout her reign, she has helped steer the nation through decades of political turmoil, seen 12 Prime Ministers come and go, as well as set a longevity record for any British monarch. Now that she is stepping down after 65 years on the throne and nearly 90 years on Earth, many are beginning to speculate what this change will mean for Britain and its people.
And what we can learn from her reign and legacy
Queen Elizabeth II has been the monarch for six decades and is the only monarch in modern history to have presided over more than one reign. With her departure, a new era will dawn. But what have we learned from her? More importantly, what can we learn?
Elizabeth was born in 1926 to a father she never knew; he died soon after she was born. She was queen at just 25 years old, after her uncle and then-King Edward VIII abdicated the throne because he wanted to marry Wallis Simpson. In other words, Elizabeth was thrust into a position that many young people nowadays would shy away from–without any experience in management or public speaking or crisis management.
Conclusion
Queen Elizabeth II’s life has spanned through nine decades. Born on April 21st, 1926, she was just 25 years old when her father died. He became King George VI in 1936 and the Queen assumed the role as heir to the throne. The Queen got married in 1947 and has been there for three generations of Britons and Commonwealth citizens. She grew up with a Mother that didn’t really work (the only woman before now), watched everything modernize, lived through World War 2 twice over, seen her country’s power begin to shift from the old colonial power to new emerging nations, saw her people get their first taste of freedom from tyranny, saw England become a Republic twice (once briefly), witnessed many things she never thought would happen, and helped maintain stability throughout it all.
