After a 70-year reign, the longest in the history of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II passed away on the afternoon of this Thursday, September 8, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, surrounded by her family and complete peace of mind.
This was reported by the Royal Family through a brief message that was broadcast by all the media, including social networks.
"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen Consort will remain in Balmoral tonight and will return to London tomorrow," a tweet issued from the Royal Family account stated.
After concerns about her health increased on Thursday, her family gathered at her Scottish estate to accompany her.
With his death, his eldest son Charles, ?73 years old? the former Prince of Wales will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state of 14 Commonwealth kingdoms, and will do so under the name of Charles III.
From the Royal Family account, the now King Carlos III shared a statement.
"The passing of my dear Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the utmost sadness for me and all members of my family. We deeply mourn the death of a dear Sovereign and a very dear Mother. I know your loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, Realms and Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held."
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss, who recently succeeded Boris Johnson, and who just met Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday in Balmoral, left her new residence to give a statement after the death of the monarch.
"The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a great shock to the nation and the world. Queen Elizabeth was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under his reign. Great Britain is the great country it is today because of her, who ascended the throne, just after World War II, and who propelled the development of the Commonwealth from a small group of seven countries to a family of 56 nations spanning all the continents of the world," he said.
Queen Elizabeth II gave us the stability and strength we needed, she was the spirit of Great Britain and that spirit will live on. Has she been the monarch who has reigned the longest? She was loved and admired by the people of the UK and around the world. He has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons, his devotion to duty is an example to us."
Prime Minister Truss stressed that in the difficult days ahead “we will join our friends from across the UK, the Commonwealth and the world, to celebrate his extraordinary life of service. It is a day of great loss, Queen Elizabeth II today leaves a great legacy, the crown passes as it has for more than a thousand years to our new monarch at the head of State. His Majesty the King, Carlos III».
"With the King's family, we mourn the loss of his mother. And since we were born, we must come together as a people to support and help him for the awesome responsibility that he now carries for all of us. We offer you our loyalty and devotion just as your mother devoted so much to so many for so long. And with the passing of the second Elizabethan era, we usher in a new era, in the magnificent history of our great country. Exactly. As his majesty would have wished. Saying the words God save the King," he concluded.
Operation London Bridge
Operation London Bridge is the code name of the plan that must be carried out during the days and weeks after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
On D-Day, the Queen's Private Secretary, Edward Young, will inform the Prime Minister of the Queen's death under the code 'London Bridge is down', and will also inform the Privy Council Office, which coordinates the work of government in the name of the monarch.
After that, the Prime Minister puts the plan into motion, and within minutes, the countries that are part of the kingdom are informed of the situation. The gates of Buckingham Palace will be illuminated and black boards will be placed with a message from the Royal Family.
Ministers and senior civil servants will also receive an email from the cabinet secretary, the draft of which reads: "Dear colleagues, it is with sadness that I write to inform you of the death of Her Majesty the Queen."
Upon receipt of this email, the flags in Whitehall will be lowered to half mast. The goal is that this can be done in 10 minutes.
The royal family's website will switch to a black page with a short statement confirming the queen's death. The UK government website, GOV.UK, will display a black banner at the top. All government departmental social media pages will also display a black banner and change their profile images to their departmental crest.
The royal family will announce plans for the queen's funeral, which is expected to take place 10 days after her death.
The Prime Minister will be the first member of the government to make a statement. All other members of the government will be instructed not to comment until after the prime minister has spoken.
The Ministry of Defense will ensure that firearms salutes are carried out at all salute stations. A minute of national silence will be announced.
On the second day after death, by dying at Balmoral in Scotland, Operation UNICORN will be activated, which means that your body will be taken to London on a real train if possible. Otherwise, Operation OVERSTUDY will be activated, which means that the coffin will be transferred by plane. The Prime Minister and ministers will attend a reception to welcome the coffin.
By the 10th, the state funeral itself will be held at Westminster Abbey, there will be two minutes of silence across the country at noon. Processions will take place in London and Windsor.
There will be an engagement service in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, and the queen will be buried in the castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel.
The world reacts to death
Through a joint letter, issued by the White House, President Joseph Biden and his wife Jill Biden expressed their condolences after his death.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era. In an ever-changing world, she was a constant presence and a source of comfort and pride to generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united the people of the Commonwealth. The seven decades of his historic reign witnessed an era of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity."
Through their Twitter accounts, various presidents, Prime Ministers and personalities from the world of politics have spoken out about the death of Elizabeth II.
Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
“This is the saddest day in our country. In the heart of each one of us there is a pain for the death of our Queen, a deep and personal feeling of loss, much more intense, perhaps, than we expected.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
“It is with profound sadness that I have learned of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was the longest-serving Head of State in the world and one of the most respected personalities worldwide. I offer my sincere condolences to the Royal Family and the British people."
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
"It is with the deepest of hearts that we learn of the passing of Canada's longest-serving sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He was a constant presence in our lives, and his service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country's history."
Andrés Manuel López Obrador, President of Mexico
“I send my condolences to the people of the United Kingdom on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, British monarch and sovereign of 14 independent states. In the same way, I extend them to their family, friends and members of the Royal House ».
Emmanuel Macron, President of France
"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II embodied the continuity and unity of the British nation for more than 70 years. I remember her as a friend of France, a good-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century."
With information from BBC and Political.
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