Queen Elizabeth II, England’s sixth queen, died on September 8th at the age of 96. The Queen presumably passed away during the afternoon on the 8th of natural causes. She was the longest English monarch to reign and the second longest reigning monarch in the world, behind King Louis XIV of France. Her funeral was held on September 19th after ten days of mourning. It is expected that at least 4.1 billion people watched the Queen’s funeral. Besides being the Head of State of the United Kingdom, she reigned over Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and 28 other sovereign states as part of the British Commonwealth. The Queen presided over a period of unprecedented change. For example, at the start of her reign in 1952, people were communicating over telegraph lines and bulky telephones. At the end of her reign in 2022, people communicate over small highly technological devices called an “iPhone”. Needless to say, the Queen has seen a lot of change in the United Kingdom and all over the world.
Two days before her passing, she met the new UK prime minister, Liz Truss, who assumed the duties of prime minister after former PM Boris Johnson resigned over several internal and external scandals. Truss marked Queen Elizabeth’s 15th PM during her reign, the most out of any British monarch. The meeting between the two marked the last pictures of the Queen before her death Thursday, September 8th.
People from all walks of life all over the world admired Queen Elizabeth II for everything she did for the monarchy and the British people during her time as Queen. On her 21st birthday, during a speech to the nation, then- Princess Elizabeth said, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” This speech defined her reign and her focus on serving the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
Many admired her for the way that she dealt with the many scandals about her family, the country, etc. during her reign. Examples include the divorce of Charles and Diana, accusations of Prince Andrew about his relationship with minors connected with Jeffrey Epstein, and the Harry-Meghan drama. The Queen handled all these situations with ease and guidance. She was viewed as a grandmother by many Brits and was seen as a constant in an ever-evolving world.
Americans have long been fascinated with the monarchy and Queen Elizabeth, and the interest seems to be on the rise. In 2011, 22 million Americans woke up early to watch the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. In 2018, nearly 30 million Americans watched Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exchange vows. Now, it is expected that millions more will watch the funeral of the Queen. There could be many reasons why Americans are fascinated with the royal family. Many people in the US see the royal family as entertainment and the lead of pop culture. So many follow what the dresses the princesses wear and a lot of the time a member of the royal family can start a fashion trend.
Another reason why Americans may have a strong approval of the royals and Queen Elizabeth is because the royal family is apolitical and not too involved in the political process in the UK. It is much more common in the US for even celebrities to express their political opinion which can make it hard for people that don’t share the same opinion to like the celebrity. Even though the UK is a constitutional monarchy so the reigning monarch is involved in the political process then it may seem, it is tradition for the monarch to let the prime minister and government do what they want if they have the votes to do so. Being apolitical makes the royal family much more well liked as people that have all types of opinions can see Queen Elizabeth and the royals from a non-political view.
Whether you like the royal family or not, it is clear that Queen Elizabeth II has had a very significant impact on the world, an impact that will be felt for hundreds of years to come. She has inspired millions by her dedication of service and loyalty to the crown and to the country she has always loved. Known as a loving grandmother to many Brits, the Queen will be dearly missed by all.
