On Thursday, the Queen Elizabeth II of England died at her royal estate in Balmoral, Scotland, with her children and grandchildren at her side.
Elizabeth II ruled since her father's death in 1952 at age 25 as the longest serving monarch in history besides King Louis XIV of France. She was 96 years old and was preceded in death by her husband, Prince Philip, who died at age 99 in 2021.
On Thursday morning, news outlets began reporting that the queen's family was rushing to her side, and members of the BBC were instructed to wear black as the outlet's website changed to a black theme. Rumors began circulating on social media that the queen had already passed, and that they were waiting for the rest of the family, including Prince Harry, to make his way home.
Harry's wife, American actress Meghan Markle, was reportedly not invited to the queen's side. Markle has very publicly made a break with the monarchy in recent years, appearing in magazines and an interview with Oprah Winfrey where she has made allegations against the British Crown.
Elizabeth's son Charles is now the King of the United Kingdom.
Here is video of Queen Elizabeth II's first televised Christmas message in 1957, where she encouraged her countrymen not to abandon the principles that built their nation.
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