Sefton Bubble
- Sep 8, 2022
- 5 min read

Queen Elizabeth II has died. The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon

Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born 21 April 1926 and since the age of 21 years, was Queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other sovereign countries.

At the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch. The Queen has ruled for longer than any other Monarch in British history, becoming a much loved and respected figure across the globe. Her extraordinary reign has seen her travel more widely than any other monarch, undertaking many historic overseas visits. Known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, she has been an important figurehead for the UK and the Commonwealth during times of enormous social change. Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen was not well on Thursday 8th September when her family, including her four children travelled to Balmoral, Clarence House along with Prince William and Prince Harry. On Thursday 8th September, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.”

"The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

Queen Elizabeth’s health has been the subject of much speculation after she completed a short hospital stay in October last year. The monarch first sparked concern after she walked with a cane on October 12th 2021 at an appearance at Westminster Abbey in London for a Service of Thanksgiving. When the queen arrived at the church, her daughter, Princess Anne, handed her the cane. The royal matriarch laid her late husband, Prince Philip, to rest in April last year when he died at age 99. His funeral took place on April 17, where he was privately interred in the Royal Vault of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Prince Philip’s body will be moved from the Royal Vault to the King George VI Memorial Chapel, also at St George’s – where the couple will lie together. Prince Philip was laid to rest in a lead-lined English Oak coffin, which was made for him more than 30 years ago.

The funeral of the Queen is to take place 10 days after her death but there is no definite public announcement yet as to how many official days of mourning there would be - there are varying reports of it being 10 and 12 days. The funeral and the subsequent coronation will become formal national holidays. Flags will fly at half-mast across the UK. The day of the Queen’s death will be followed by a 12-day mourning period. Due to the Queen passing at Balmoral, Operation Unicorn will be put into action instead of Operation London Bridge. This is the plan laying out what happens if the Queen dies in Scotland. It states that on hearing the news, parliamentary business would immediately be suspended to allow authorities to prepare for the Queen’s state funeral. It is expected that hundreds of thousands of people would make their way to Scotland to pay their respects, who would be encouraged to gather around the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace and St Giles’ Cathedral – all on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. The Queen’s body would initially rest at the Palace of Holyrood, before her coffin being carried to St Giles’. Her body would then be placed on a Royal Train at Waverley Station before travelling down the east coast mainline to London. The royal household will issue an official notification to the public. Flags at Whitehall will be flying at half-mast within 10 minutes and the Queen’s successor, Prince Charles, is expected to address the nation the next day. Books of condolence will be opened around the country, gun salutes will take place at saluting stations and a service of remembrance will be held at St Paul's Cathedral. As macabre as it might sound, there have long been specific, exhaustive plans in place for the deaths of senior members of the royal family, all of which have codenames. For example, the Queen's is called Operation London Bridge unless she passed away at Balmoral in which case it would be Operation Unicorn and Prince Charles' is Operation Menai Bridge. The state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey ten days after the Queen's death, after which her body would be buried in a prepared tomb at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, alongside Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The day of the funeral will be declared a Day of National Mourning, although not an offical bank holiday, and a period of two minutes' silence will take place across the UK at midday. During this time, the Queen’s body will be moved to Buckingham Palace and preparations will be made for the state funeral. The Archbishop of Canterbury will be in charge of funeral proceedings. Her Majesty’s coffin will lie in state in Westminster Hall for four days so that the public can pay their respects. It is expected her body will finally then be laid to rest with Prince Philip in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen Mother and King George VI are also buried there. In the British royal family today, the throne will pass from Queen Elizabeth II upon her death to her son Prince Charles. Under common law, Prince Charles will automatically become King the moment the Queen dies and he will address the nation the evening of her passing. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cornwall will become Queen Camilla. If Prince Charles chooses to keep his own name (royals can choose another upon ascending to the throne) he will be known as King Charles III. It is believed that Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, will then become the Prince of Wales. Since ascending to the throne in 1952, the mother-of-four has worked as mechanic and military truck driver during World War II, talked politics with 15 prime ministers and 13 US presidents, led 53 Commonwealth countries and welcomed eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. As soon as the queen passes, a change of currency will occur. And instead of her portrait, the new sovereign's portrait will be printed on bills and coins. In fact, in preparation for her death, Prince Charles has already had portraits taken for the British pound.

On the day of the funeral, the London Stock Exchange will close. It’s unknown what will happen to the British economy following her death. That said, Business Insider reports that the national holidays will result in an estimated economic hit to gross domestic product of £1.2 billion to £6 billion.

Phillip came to me today,

and said it was time to go.

I looked at him and smiled,

as i whispered that "I know"

I then turned and looked behind me,

and seen I was asleep.

All my Family were around me,

and I could hear them weep.

I gently touched each shoulder,

with Phillip by my side.

Then I turned away and walked,

with My Angel guide.