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Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96, surrounded by the royal family at Balmoral estate

By: Becky Sullivan | NPR
Posted on: Thursday, September 8, 2022

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — Queen Elizabeth II, whose seven decades on the throne of the United Kingdom was a longer reign than any other British monarch, has died at the age of 96.

The queen “died peacefully” on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, her estate in the Scottish Highlands, royal family officials announced. King Charles, her son, is at Balmoral and will return to London on Friday.

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. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

The queen had been placed under medical supervision earlier Thursday, officials said. “Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” the palace had said in a statement.

Other members of the royal family had also traveled to Balmoral, including her grandson Prince William, who is now the heir apparent. Prince Harry, who was already in the country for a charity event, was also reportedly en route.

In recent years, the queen had taken on fewer public duties, occasionally canceling appearances in which her attendance was once tradition. Mobility issues had troubled her in recent months, and she had taken to spending much of her time at Windsor Castle, the family’s country estate near London, and at Balmoral, the castle in Scotland.

In February, she contracted COVID-19, which she later described as leaving her “very tired and exhausted.”

In June, Elizabeth appeared at her Platinum Jubilee celebrating her 70 years on the throne, watching the parade from a balcony of Buckingham Palace. But she missed most of the other festivities. And on Tuesday, she met with the U.K.’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral, a first in her reign.

Elizabeth acceded to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952. Over her 70-year-long reign, she oversaw an extraordinary period of British history, including decolonization and the independence of more than 20 countries that were once a part of the British Empire.

Charles, 73, is now Britain’s king.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.