Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain died on Thursday, September 8, 2022, bringing to an end her 70-year reign across much of the 20th century and all of the 21st. The beloved and revered monarch passed at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands surrounded by her family. She was 96 years old.

Buckingham Palace released the statement, “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.”

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning monarch in British history. She was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London to Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI) and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She married Philip Mountbatten in 1947, and together they had four children, including Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. She became queen on February 6, 1952, and was crowned later that spring on June 2, 1953.

Elizabeth met her husband when she was 13 years old, and they kept in touch over the years and eventually fell in love. Philip was outspoken and boisterous, and didn’t possess great wealth, making King George VI hesitant to allow the marriage. Great Britain was still recovering from WWII during the time of the wedding, so Elizabeth collected clothing coupons to get fabric for her gown. The event took place at Westminster Abbey on November 20. A year after the wedding they had Charles in 1948, then Anne in 1950, Andrew in 1960, and Edward in 1964.

Her father King George VI died on February 6, 1952, making Princess Elizabeth the new queen. Elizabeth’s official coronation was the first time the ceremony was broadcast on television, allowing people around the world to watch the event with all of its tradition and spectacle.

Because her father was not the heir to the throne (her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to George VI), Elizabeth’s early life was privileged as a member of royalty without the pressure of being the heir apparent. Her family spent time between London and Windsor Great Park and she and her sister Margaret were taught by tutors. When World War II began the sisters mostly stayed out of London.

From Windsor Castle, Elizabeth made the first of her famous radio broadcasts. She reassured British children who had been evacuated from their homes by telling them that all would be well and that they’d find victory and peace. Her father appointed her as colonel-in-chief of the Grenadier Guards and she started joining her parents on official visits in Britain. To help the war effort, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945 and for a few months she trained with other British women to be a driver and mechanic.

As a constitutional monarch she did not weigh in on political issues, though she did regularly communicate with prime ministers. During the 1950s and 1960s several dominions and dependencies gained independence from the British Empire, evolving it into the Commonwealth of Nations. She made many visits to these countries as head of the Commonwealth, including a trip to Germany in 1965 – the first British monarch to do so in five decades. She traveled extensively during the ’70s, including trips to the United States during the 200th anniversary of America’s independence from Britain, to Montreal for the Summer Olympics, as well as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, which earned her international respect.

As a modern monarch, she removed some formalities and made certain sites and items accessible to the public. When Britain struggled financially, she allowed the Civil List, which was the public funding system of the monarchy, to be eliminated, though they still receive some government support.

Elizabeth faced public scrutiny after Princess Diana’s death in 1997. The beloved “People’s Princess” was deeply mourned by the public but for days after her passing the Queen did not issue a public statement and stories circulated that she did not want to give Diana a royal funeral. Elizabeth returned to London and issued a statement about Diana almost a week after her passing.

In 2002 she celebrated her Golden Jubilee, or 50th year, as the queen. That same year, she lost her sister Margaret in February and her mother, the Queen Mother, at the end of March. In September 2015 she passed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest ruling monarch.

Despite her advancing age, Elizabeth continued handling royal obligations and making hundreds of appearances each year. During her reign, 15 British prime ministers have been in office and about 25% of all US presidents. Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee honoring her 70 years on the throne was commemorated in June 2022. Her final public appearance was two days before her death on September 6 when she welcomed Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss to Balmoral.

She was preceeded in death by her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9, 2021.