Thousands attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
On September 8, 2022, the Queen of England passed away at the age of 96 years old. She reigned in England for 70 years and was Britain’s longest serving monarch.
The celebration of Queen Elizabeth
On Monday, September 19, 2022, after a mourning period of 10 days, Britain said its final goodbye to the monarch Queen Elizabeth II. With billions watching around the world and hundreds of world leaders attending, the funeral service is thought to be an end to a reign that defined an era.
Thousands of British citizens watched on the streets of London as the Queen’s coffin was taken to Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth’s funeral is the first British state funeral since the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965, who was a mentor to Elizabeth in her early years as queen.
The funeral was meticulously choreographed, every second being planned for the day. The funeral was held at Westminster Abbey, the same place where she was married to Prince Phillip and where her coronation was held.
What’s Next for England?
The passing of the Queen was affected by all the world, whether it was political or not. Queen Elizabeth “is a symbol for the commonwealth, like Canada and Australia,” said Political Science Professor Thomas Ambrosio.
Queen Elizabeth reigned over England for 70 years, through World War II, a pandemic, and so many more critical events. Elizabeth was there through these events and has been serving as a symbol to the people of England as a safety net.
“Queen Elizabeth was a symbol for people, now that that’s gone, what’s left?” said Ambrosio.
The British monarch, although thought by most to be ruled by the royal family, is ruled by parliament. The royal family is used as a symbol to the country, Ambrosio said, “you can hate your government, but you still have this symbol to represent unity.”
England runs on tradition, which is widely influenced by the royal family. The line of succession shows that Prince Charles is up to be King, a role he’s waited for a very long time. “A lot of people wanted it to pass to his son, William, but that’s not how it works,” said Ambrosio when asked about England’s line of succession.
England wants more modernity, which would be influenced by Prince William, seeing as he is younger than his father, Charles. However, as tradition goes, you must follow the line of succession. King Charles is now 73 years old, and if he follows in his mother’s footsteps, he has about two decades to rule, but Britain has had the same monarch for the past 70 years.
The Queen’s North Dakota Pen Pal
After the Queen was crowned in 1953, she received a letter from a woman named Adele Hankey. Hankey, who was from Park River, North Dakota, was born on April 21, 1926, the exact same day as Queen Elizabeth.
She had sent the Queen a letter to congratulate her on her crown, never expecting a response from Her Majesty, from which, to her surprise, she received a birthday card. According to People, “for the past 70 years, Hankey would reach out on their shared birthday, noting that she made sure to perfect her penmanship, and the Queen always got back to her.”
One year Adele had asked for one of the Queen’s trademark hats, but instead received a “lovely photograph” from Queen Elizabeth, as stated by People. Adele stated that she’s not sure how many letters were sent throughout the years, but they both made sure to send each other birthday cards each year.
Though the two never met in person, the fact that they both shared a birthday meant so much to these women it encouraged them to keep in touch throughout the years.