Farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, a Monarch for the Ages
Through 70 years of remarkable change and upheaval, the queen was the embodiment of grace and dignity.
End of an era.
Photographer: Eddie Mulholland/WPA Pool/Getty Images
The death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday marks the end not just of an era spanning seven decades, but of one of the most remarkable public careers in modern history. Amid war, geopolitical upheaval, social turmoil and technological revolution, the queen’s decency and grace brought stability to Britain and endeared her to generations all over the world.
It’s difficult to overstate the scale of change that took place under Elizabeth’s watch. When she ascended to the throne in 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI, Britain possessed more than 70 overseas territories. Humanity had yet to be introduced to color television, personal computers or birth-control pills. The Beatles were in grammar school. Several of the 15 prime ministers who eventually served under her were not yet born.