On Thursday, September 8, the Queen of England died ‘peacefully’ at Balmoral, her castle in Scotland. At the age of 96, she was the country’s longest reigning monarch, ruling for 70 years.
She had many health related problems leading up to her death, however the royal press did not specify the cause.

As concerns for her health rose her family rushed to be with her in Scotland. Her four children Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Prince Charles were all with her in her final hours. Prince William arrived in Scotland without his wife Kate Middleton as she had stayed home to be with the children. Prince Harry arrived after the death without his wife Meghan Markle.

When a monarch dies, there is a royal protocol to be followed. The Queen’s death is communicated with the phrase “London Bridge is down.” Across the country and other commonwealths, the Union flags are lowered to half mass. The Monarch flag still flies high as stated by CNN , “The Royal Standard, which is the monarch’s personal flag, is never lowered because the monarch never dies.” A notice was placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace.

The funeral was held 10 days after her death. The day was declared a public holiday. Until the funeral, the country was in a period of mourning. The funeral took place September 19, where the Queen was laid to rest in her final resting place within St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle alongside Prince Phillip, her late husband. The mourning period continued until September 26, 7 days after the Queen’s funeral. The funeral began at 11 am taking place in Westminster Abbey. The funeral concluded just before noon with 2 minutes of national silence to honor the Queen. 2,000 people were in attendance including President Joe Biden, Japanese Emperor Naruhito, King Felipe VI of Spain, the King and Queen of the Netherlands, South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol, and many other notable figures.

The Queen’s coffin slowly traveled from Balmoral Castle letting everyone along the way pay their respects. The coffin stayed in Edinburgh for the night before returning to Buckingham Palace. On Wednesday the 14, King Charles accompanied by members of the royal family trailed a horse-drawn gunned carriage carrying Queen Elizabeth. The fleet departed Buckingham Palace at exactly 2:22 PM and proceeded a half mile down the flagged-line Mall until it reached Westminster Hall at exactly 3:00 PM. The procession was followed by a short service. After the service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Hall was opened for public viewing 24 hours a day until 6:30 AM on the morning of her funeral. The lines for mourners to pay their respects to the Queen is over 4 miles long.

Following the Queen’s death, her eldest son Charles will now rule as King going by the title King Charles III. His wife, Camilla is now the Queen Consort. William and Kate now become next in line to the throne as Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge inheriting the ‘Cornwall’ title. They will also be given the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales. The title Princess of Wales has not been used since William’s mother Diana. Their children will have a surname change from ‘Cambridge’ to ‘Wales’ and will now be known as the Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and Prince Louis of Wales. They are next in line to the throne after their father in age order. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not expected to receive new titles following their separation from the royal family in 2020. However, their children will be known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.