Queen Elizabeth II of England dies at the age of 96

Queen Elizabeth’s best moments on the Buckingham balcony 0:56 (CNN) –– Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on Thursday, Buckingham Palace confirmed. Great Britain says goodbye to the monarch with the longest reign in its history: she celebrated 70 years on the throne this 2022. The first in the line of succession is Carlos, the Prince of Wales and eldest son of the queen. He is the British monarch heir to the throne who has waited the longest, as he has been the heir apparent since he was 3 years old. He is also the first to earn a college degree. Since 2005, he has been married to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Funeral details for Elizabeth II are expected to be announced. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, “Lilibet” to her friends, was born on April 21, 1926. And just a decade later, Elizabeth knew that she was truly destined to lead an empire. And it was a ruse of history, the work of scandal: her uncle Eduardo abdicated so she could marry Wallis Simpson, a divorced American woman, the love of her life, but an impediment to the throne. Elizabeth’s father became king. And she happened to be the heiress by accident. And she developed a deep sense of duty. Even before she was crowned, Elizabeth devoted herself body and soul to playing her “royal” role. “I declare before all of you that my whole life, long or short, will be dedicated to your service and to the service of this great imperial family to which we all belong.” “I think I remember hearing that speech and I remember it very well, I certainly remember reading not many years later how he dedicated his life to the country; it was an example of exactly what I felt years later when I grew up; that’s what it was all about: to dedicate your life to your country. For more than half a century, she led her empire and then watched it decline, in controlled descent, into what became known as the British Commonwealth of Nations, an association of now independent countries. 16 countries kept her as the symbolic head of state. For decades she has endured everything that history and her family have thrown at her, with comforting composure. Her reign began when Winston Churchill was Prime Minister. She has met with every president of the United States except one; she always gave priority to those encounters. “She remembers learning from her parents the importance of keeping America on your side during the war. And America went into the war. She remembers that very well. She remembers American soldiers, D-Day and all that. For her, it was a big part of her upbringing,” says Robert Hardman, author of Our Queen. The British monarch has no political power, but Elizabeth had immense power as a figurehead, as demonstrated in 2011 in the first state visit by a monarch to neighboring Ireland since Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom.