‘God Save the Queen.’ RIP, Queen Elizabeth II

An Opinion Piece on the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

Elizabeth II lived through some of the most pivotal moments in modern history. From the brutality of World War 2 to the fall of Communism and the terror of COVID-19, Elizabeth lived through it all. A dozen Prime Ministers and Fourteen US Presidents, some of whom we only learned about in textbooks, came and went while she reigned, and many met her in person. That’s not even counting the celebrities she met! What’s more, her reign saw the British Empire, once the largest in all of history, began its decades-long road to disbandment. Not to mention the

Few people these days can say that a single person in a position of influence has lived through so much change and upheaval. And it’s possible no one ever will again. At seventy years on the throne, Elizabeth’s reign was only surpassed in length by that of King Louis XIV of France. While some claim that they’ve seen it all, Elizabeth was one of the few who could back that up.

Losing a Piece of Cultural Identity

Elizabeth’s passing isn’t just important on a global scale, though. For much of the world, she’s been the only ruler of Great Britain they’ve ever known. She’s practically synonymous with Great Britain in pop culture, with countless portrayals in everything from South Park, The Simpsons, to even the Minions. In other words, Elizabeth was Great Britain for many. Now that she’s gone, Great Britain’s lost a constant part of its identity for the last 70 years.

The most impressive aspect of her reign, though, was her ability to remain steadfast amidst even the worst of times. From her son’s messy and public divorce with Princess Diana to Diana’s tragic death, Elizabeth kept her family together as best she could. And it seems to have largely worked. The British Royal Family weathered things that would’ve destroyed other families.

Queen Elizabeth II left the world as her country’s longest-reigning monarch and one of its most beloved. Granted, the Empire she oversaw the disbandment of still left a lot of problems behind. However, whatever he legacy may be, few will deny the impact she had on our world.