Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96 after reigning for 70 years.
Her family gathered at her Scottish estate after concerns were raised about her health earlier on Thursday.
Elizabeth II was 25 when she became queen in February 1952.
That month, Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, were on an official trip to East Africa as part of a Commonwealth tour.
But a few days after leaving London, on February 6, the Queen received news of the death of her father, King George VI.
The same day, she returned to London with another social status.
Despite being ill, King George’s death at the age of 56 was unexpected. After this event, Elizabeth was the only one who could take the throne, as her uncle Edward VIII had already rejected her.
Elizabeth herself accepted her fate, reacting with a sense of duty immediately upon receiving the news of her father’s death. As she prepared the procedures for her return to London, she wrote letters to “apologize” that she was suddenly leaving East Africa.
Elizabeth was crowned Queen over a year later, on 2 June 1953.
The coronation ceremony attended by England’s aristocracy, international political leaders, citizens and businessmen, was broadcast on television and radio all over the world.
Queen Elizabeth II was the 63rd monarch of Britain.
In February, she celebrated the 70th anniversary of her reign, where she also expressed her desire for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall to be recognized as Queen when her husband, Prince Charles, becomes King of Great Britain.