BRITISH QUEEN Elizabeth II passed on late yesterday at age 96, after reigning for 70 years.
The long reign of the Queen, born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor on April 21, 1926, was marked by her strong sense of duty and her determination to dedicate her life to her throne and to her people.
Her death marks the end of an era, having had her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed on earlier.
Signs of her deteriorating condition were visible when the Royal Family converged at the Balmoral estate ahead of her demise, as concerns for her health mounted.
The changing of the guards, one of the Queen’s schedules, was canceled, and the black dresses worn by many close to the monarchy sent a worrying message.
The Archbishop of Canterbury was among other clergymen, who sent well wishes to the Queen.
Harry and his wife, at the time of writing, said they were on their way to the location.
The Queen recently overcame a bout of COVID-19 infections.
Queen Elizabeth became for many, the one constant point in a rapidly changing world as British influence declined, society changed beyond recognition and the role of the monarchy itself came into question.
Her success in maintaining the monarchy through such turbulent times, according to the BBC, was even more remarkable, given that at the time of her birth, no one could have foreseen that the throne would be her destiny.
She was born in a house just off Berkeley Square in London, the first child of Albert, Duke of York, second son of George V, and his duchess, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
She played a crucial role in Ghana’s independence from Britain in 1957 and our attainment of a republican status.
Both Elizabeth and her sister, Margaret Rose, who was born in 1930, were educated at home and brought up in a loving family atmosphere. Elizabeth was extremely close to both her father and her grandfather, George V.
At the age of six, Elizabeth told her riding instructor that she wanted to become a “country lady with lots of horses and dogs.”
She was said to have shown a remarkable sense of responsibility from a very early age. Winston Churchill, one-time Britain’s prime minister, was quoted as saying that she possessed “an air of authority that was astonishing in an infant.”
Despite not attending school, Elizabeth proved adept at languages and made a detailed study of constitutional history.
A special Girl Guides company, the 1st Buckingham Palace, was formed so that she could socialise with girls of her own age.
BY A.R. Gomda with additional files from BBC