I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine” once quoted on her 21st birthday, Queen Elizabeth took the pledge to serve the people of Britain and its Commonwealth nations in her whole life, and till her last breath, she kept that promise.
The queen who gave her whole life to the nation went to eternal sleep peacefully on 8th September 2020 at Balmoral Palace, Scotland. As Queen Elizabeth II died in Scotland, Operation Unicorn was meant to follow. The Queen was 96 years old and served the nation for 70 years, marking as the UK’s longest-serving monarch.
Queen Elizabeth’s death was confirmed at 6:30 p.m. BST, on the evening of last Thursday 8th September 2020.
Before Queen’s death, on the very day, Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen is medical surveillance at Balmoral Castle due to Doctors’ concerns. After knowing the concerns regarding Queen’s health, her first child Prince Charles Philip Arthur George along with his wife Camilla Rosemary Shand was the first to arrive at Balmoral Castle. Queen’s only daughter Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was also present during her mother’s last minute.
Image by: Chris Jackson
Prince William Arthur Philip Louis drove the Range Rover with Queen Elizabeth’s other two sons Andrew Albert Christian Edward and Edward Antony Richard Louis along with Edward’s wife Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones tried their best to reach in time but they couldn’t make it before Queen’s death.
Prince Harry also missed the opportunity to bid the final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II
Early Life of Elizabeth Alexandra
Queen Elizabeth’s full name was Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. She was born on 21st April 1926 at 2:40 GMT, in Mayfair, London. During that her paternal Grandfather George Frederick Ernest Albert was the King of the UK. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father Prince Albert (later King George VI) Duke of York, was the second son of King George V, and her mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Duchess of York was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon.
Early Life of Elizabeth Alexandra
Elizabeth and her younger sister Princess Margaret were educated at their home under the guidance of their mother and their governess. They mainly focused on history, literature, language, and music.
Heir Claimant
Elizabeth was the third in the line of succession to the throne, after her Uncle Edward and her father. Elizabeth caught the eye of the media and public since the time of her grandfather’s reign but she never expected to be the Queen. After Alexandra’s grandfather’s death, her Uncle Edward VIII became the King in 1936, which made her second on the throne. Following that year, Edward gave up the position to marry a divorced woman, Bessie Wallis Warfield. As the consequence, her father Prince Albert became King George VI and as Elizabeth was the first child of Albert, became the heir to the throne.
Elizabeth married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, on 20th November 1947. The Queen gave birth to her first child Prince Charles on 14 November 1948.
In 1951 George VI’s health was not well, at that time Elizabeth stood by his father in public events. While she was on tour to Canada to visit president Harry S. Truman, her secretary Martin Charteris, carried a draft accession declaration of the situation of her father’s Death. On 6th February 1952, King George VI died and Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II.
