She was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch in history.
She has witnessed:
— World War II,
— Cold War,
— The independence of British colonies,
— The collapse of the Soviet Union,
— 9/11 attacks,
— Brexit,
— The death of the Soviet Union’s final leader Mikhail Gorbachev (last week),
— The rise of China and India (India surpassed the UK to be the world’s 5th largest economy this week). —
And what else? She became Queen on 1952 at the age of 26, at a time when the Cold War began. Her coronation ceremony was the first to be broadcast live on television. Over 27 million people in UK watched the ceremony. At a time when the British Empire’s global influence declined amid decolonization after World War II, she helped build “special relationships” between the UK and its former territories or colonies by founding the Commonwealth of Nations. Countries like South Africa and India remained in the special ties with the UK for decades, and countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand accept Queen Elizabeth as their head of state. In 1980s, over 40 countries, formerly part of the British Empire, have gained independence during the queen’s reign.
Most of them did not recognize Queen as their head of state. In late 1984, the UK agreed to return Hong Kong to China beginning July 1, 1997. In 1986, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit the Chinese mainland. She toured in Xi’an’s army of terracotta warriors, climbed the Great Wall in Beijing, and visited Kunming, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. The Queen is the best travelled monarch. She has travelled over 1,032,513 miles as Queen, equivalent to 42 journeys around the entire circumference of the Earth.
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Official Statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
This is our country’s saddest day. In the hearts of every one of us there is an ache at the passing of our Queen, a deep and personal sense of loss – far more intense, perhaps, than we expected.
In these first grim moments since the news, I know that millions and millions of people have been pausing whatever they have been doing, to think about Queen Elizabeth, about the bright and shining light that has finally gone out.
She seemed so timeless and so wonderful that I am afraid we had come to believe, like children, that she would just go on and on. Wave after wave of grief is rolling across the world, from Balmoral – where our thoughts are with all the Royal Family – and breaking far beyond this country and throughout that great Commonwealth of nations that she so cherished and which cherished her in return.
As is so natural with human beings, it is only when we face the reality of our loss that we truly understand what has gone. It is only really now that we grasp how much she meant for us, how much she did for us, how much she loved us.
As we think of the void she leaves, we understand the vital role she played, selflessly and calmly embodying the continuity and unity of our country.We think of her deep wisdom, and historic understanding, and her seemingly inexhaustible but understated sense of duty. Relentless though her diary must have felt, she never once let it show, and to tens of thousands of events – great and small – she brought her smile and her warmth and her gentle humour – and for an unrivalled 70 years she spread that magic around her Kingdom.
This is our country’s saddest day because she had a unique and simple power to make us happy. That is why we loved her. That is why we grieve for Elizabeth the Great, the longest serving and in many ways the finest monarch in our history.
It was one of her best achievements that she not only modernised the constitutional monarchy, but produced an heir to her throne who will amply do justice to her legacy, and whose own sense of duty is in the best traditions of his mother and his country.
Though our voices may still be choked with sadness we can say with confidence the words not heard in this country for more than seven decades.
God Save The King.
The longest-ever reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the only monarch most of her subjects have ever known, is over. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor died Thursday at Balmoral Castle, her estate in Scotland. She was 96.
The palace issued a black-bordered statement about 6.30 p.m. local time: “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.” Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, 73, immediately became king upon her death. His wife became Queen Consort Camilla.
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The Royal Family
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at age 96 today
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The Royal Family states: “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.” She was the UK’s longest-serving monarch having reigned for 70 years.
———– Recently team member Michael Schulz received a very thoughtful and kind letter of thanks & recognition letter from Charles, the Prince of Wales, from Clarence House in London, England! Prince Charles, through his Correspondence Officer, wrote a letter recognizing and congratulating on the aerial photography and actions in the Mayfield, Kentucky coverage in the hours and days after the tornado in December 2021.
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It’s incredibly humbling how far the word of something travels! We are sure he was informed of the coverage through the Queen given the recent letter reived from Her. It was and always will be an honor to receive something so incredible from such a highly regarded member of the British Royal Family!
From the day of her coronation 70 years ago—the first one ever televised—to this very moment, as countless tributes are being posted online in her honor, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has captivated the world. Today, Michelle and I join so many others who are celebrating her life and mourning her passing. Her Majesty was just 25 years old when she took on the enormous task of helming one of the world’s great democracies.
In the decades that followed, she would go on to make the role of Queen her own—with a reign defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic, defying the odds and expectations placed on women of her generation. During World War II, she became the first-ever female royal to serve on active military duty.
And through periods of prosperity and stagnation—from the moon landing, to the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the dawn of the digital age—she served as a beacon of hope and stability for the people of the United Kingdom and the world. Her Majesty worked with 15 Prime Ministers and countless foreign heads of state.
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She listened deeply, thought strategically, and was responsible for considerable diplomatic achievements. And yet, she wore her lofty titles with a light touch—as willing to act in a comic sketch for the London Olympics as she was to record steadying messages for the people of the UK during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Michelle and I were lucky enough to come to know Her Majesty, and she meant a great deal to us.
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Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity. Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance. Like so many, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty’s dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service. Our thoughts are with her family and the people of the United Kingdom at this difficult time.
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Indeed
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THE QUEEN DIED PEACEFULLY IN HER SLEEP
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history and an icon instantly recognizable to billions of people around the world, died on Thursday.
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She was 96. Buckingham Palace announced her death in a short statement, triggering 10 days of national mourning and an outpouring of tributes to her long life and record-breaking reign.
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