Longest surviving Monarch Queen Elizabeth II no more; Key moments in the years she reigned as the Queen!

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, has died aged 96, leaving the whole world in a state of shock and grief. Born in 1926 to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the head of state breathed her last on September 8, 2022, at the Balmoral castle in Scotland.
"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," read the statement issued by the Buckingham Palace.

Looking back at the monarch's magnificent reign, here are some key moments to remember and cherish.
The iconic coronation

It was on June 2, 1953, when the whole world witnessed the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II - the first ever to be televised. According to the Royal Family, 27 million people in the United Kingdom out of the total population of 36 million viewed the broadcast.

The first ever 'walkabout'

Breaking age-old royal tradition, the Queen walked out and greeted crowds of people while on a tour of Australia and New Zealand in May, 1970. Never before had any royal member had such a close encounter with the public.

The Queen sent her first ever email

At a time when the internet wasn't even discovered, Queen Elizabeth II became the first monarch to send an email. She used a network called ARPANET, a precursor to the World Wide Web.

Silver Jubilee celebrations

June 7, 1977 marked the Queen's 25 years on the throne, where she celebrated her Silver Jubilee at St. Paul’s Cathedral. She was accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, who stood tall beside her. The Queen also visited Canada, Australia, New Zealand and took an extensive tour of 36 counties in the United Kingdom, meeting citizens of the Commonwealth where she was head of state.

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“Annus Horribilis”

While the Queen's reign was grand and magnificent, it was not short of ups and downs. In the year 1992, not only did Prince Charles and Princess Diana split, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson also separated, which was a big blow to the Royal family. Queen Elizabeth called it an “annus horribilis".

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The first to ever open the doors of Buckingham Palace to the public

In 1993, the doors of Buckingham Palace were opened to the general public for the first time ever in the history of British monarchy. The money raised from the entry fees were used to rebuild parts of Windsor Castle that were damaged during a fire in 1992.

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When she visited the Republic of Ireland

It was in 1911 when King George V last visited Ireland, which was then a part of the UK. However, Queen Elizabeth’s first state visit to the now free Republic of Ireland in 2011, made her the first ever monarch to do so.

Diamond Jubilee

In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee - 60 years as Queen. She surpassed Queen Victoria's record reign of 63 years and 216 days.

Death of Prince Philip

On 9th April, 2021, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II passed away aged 99. He was the longest-serving royal consort in world history.

Platinum Jubilee

On 6th February this year (2022), Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom.

The final moments

On Tuesday, September 6, Conservative Party leader Liz Truss was formally appointed as Britain's new Prime Minister by Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the third female premier of the country.

Two days later, the Queen was kept under medical supervision and her doctors expressed concern over her health.

Unfortunately, the 96-year-old head of state passed away.