Queen Elizabeth II, UK's Longest-Reigning Monarch, Dies At 96 on Thursday

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer.

Ascending the throne in 1952, Elizabeth led the UK through a time of political upheaval. She began her reign as head of an empire, albeit one in decline. By the time of her death, the future of the UK itself was in doubt, with recurrent calls for independence in Scotland and Britain's exit from the European Union leading to renewed tension in Northern Ireland.

Elizabeth became the UK's longest-serving monarch in 2015, when she surpassed the record of Queen Victoria, who had ruled from 1837 to 1901. The partner whom Elizabeth described as her "strength and stay," Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, died in April 2021, at 99.