Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 104

[Photogallery] The final farewell of Queen Elizabeth II (Part one)

On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom died at the age of 96. She was automatically succeeded by her eldest son, now King Charles III. The United Kingdom and her other realms now say farewell to their beloved monarch.

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On 9 September, King Charles and Queen Camilla travelled from Balmoral Castle to Buckingham Palace, where they greeted well-wishers.

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Later that day, King Charles addressed the nation.

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At St Paul’s Cathedral, a service of prayer and mourning was held.

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On 10 September, there were gun salutes at the Tower of London, Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Castle Cornet, and other places.

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For the first time ever, an accession council was televised.

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Several members of the royal family attended a service at Crathie Kirk and viewed floral tributes outside Balmoral Castle.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex viewed floral tributes outside Windsor Castle and greeted well-wishers.

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On 11 September, The Queen’s coffin left Balmoral Castle and slowly travelled to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where it would rest in the throne room for the night.

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Part two coming soon.

The post [Photogallery] The final farewell of Queen Elizabeth II (Part one) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Walferdange Castle and the Mother of Luxembourg

“On the 14th at a quarter to 12 at night, the Prince-Governor reached the border of the municipality of Luxembourg, where a solemn reception was prepared. At about 1 in the morning, the noble couple entered the Castle of Walferdange. We give the deputy of the King and his illustrious spouse, who are entering our country for the first time, a warm welcome to their new home. May your entry into our country be blessed, blessed for the subjects.”1

Photo by Moniek Bloks

And so, on 15 August 1853, Prince Henry of the Netherlands and his new wife Amalia of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach arrived at Walferdange Castle, where Prince Henry was to assume the governorship in the name of his brother King William III of the Netherlands. They were welcomed with a ball and a banquet. Amalia was described as “charming, not only beautiful but also elegant and fun, that one forgets one is dealing with a Royal Highness.” The ladies of the court were also excited at the prospect of any possible children. “The joy is great at having the governor and his wife with us. But when princely children are born on Luxembourg soil, the country will truly feel joy.” The Luxembourgers were already beginning the accept the new couple.

Amalia fell in love with Walferdange Castle and the surrounding nature, and she said, “I think it is wonderful here. The castle and the whole area reminds me so much of Weimar.”2 The castle was commissioned in 1823 by King William I as a stud farm. It was converted into a residence for the Dutch King in 1842. The two side buildings were also converted into living quarters.

Amalia and Henry fell into a comfortable routine at Walferdange. The mornings were spent working, while the afternoons were for the family. Princess Amalia always prepared their tea for the afternoons. Then they read together or walked if the weather was fine. In the evening, Henry wrote his letters. Henry and Amalia would usually travel to Luxembourg in September or October to coincide with the opening of parliament, and they would remain in the country until February. They usually stayed in Walferdange Castle, though Berg Castle was also available for them. In February, they travelled to Liebenstein Castle, where they met up with Amalia’s family. From Liebenstein, they went to the Netherlands, where they lived at the Lange Voorhout Palace. They also often visited Soestdijk Palace. In the autumn, they again headed to Luxembourg.

King William III did not visit Luxembourg until six years into his reign when he was received by his brother Prince Henry. It appears that both the King and the prince were without their respective wives. Despite not being present for this visit, both Henry and Amalia enjoyed being in Luxembourg and among its people. She was interested in improving the lives of children and their education. She was also interested in improving the infrastructure between Luxembourg and the Netherlands. She often accompanied her husband during official functions. Prince Henry became known as the defender of the Luxembourgers “as if it were his homeland,” and Amalia was his constant support.

Photo by Moniek Bloks

Despite having a harmonious marriage, after ten years of marriage, Amalia and Henry did not dare to hope for a child. According to Henry’s sister Sophie, this was a source of great sadness for Amalia.

Amalia was still young and full of life when she suddenly fell ill at Walferdange Castle. At the end of April, there were rumours that she had caught a cold during a trip to Grünewald. Unfortunately, this appears to have developed into full-blown pneumonia. A first medical bulletin read, “Her Royal Highness Princess Henry has a heavy case of double pneumonia and a severe fever, but there is no immediate danger.” But medicine could not save Amalia.

Amalia died on 1 May 1872, still only 42 years old. The Luxembourgers were devastated at the death of their “mother.” Dutch newspapers reported the death of Amalia with the words. “It has pleased the Almighty, this morning, after brief but heavy suffering, to take to himself Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of the Netherlands, born Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. The Royal House, but above all His Royal Highness Prince Henry, is very much affected by this unrepairable loss.”

The Luxemburger Wort reported, “Our mother of the country, Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of the Netherlands,  has departed from this world after a futile struggle with the obstinate disease, the course of which the whole country has followed with fear and apprehension. […] In the rich man’s house, as in the hut of the poor, tears flow at this irreplaceable loss. She was the mother of the land in the deepest meaning of the world, for she had embraced all who dwell on the sacred soil of our dear, happy fatherland. When the storms rose in our skies, raging and fierce, threatening to destroy us, she stood unbowed in our midst with the faithful guardian of our freedom, the noble prince to whom we owe everything.”3 It later added, “She has returned to the Father of all, but she will live on in the heart of her children whom she loved so dearly.”4

The funeral procession included the girls of the town, dressed in white. Prince Henry was supported by his sister Sophie, the Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. The coffin rested on a magnificent hearse drawn by four horses. The houses were decorated with mourning flags and wreaths as the town came out to say goodbye to their mother. The procession went through the streets to Luxembourg city to the train station, where a special train waited to take her to the Netherlands. The two large waiting rooms had been converted into a chapel, where the religious ceremony was held as children laid flowers by the coffin. The following afternoon, the train departed to take the coffin and Prince Henry and his sister Sophie to Delft, where Amalia was interred in the royal crypt.

Prince Henry returned to Walferdange, and six years later, he married Princess Marie of Prussia, and Marie made her ceremonial entry into the city of Luxembourg on 29 October 1878. She was enthusiastically received, something which she had not expected. They settled at Walferdange Castle and were still there in January 1879 as they were preparing to leave for the wedding of King William III and Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont a few days later. Henry had delayed their departure to take care of a tradition he had begun with Amalia – the traditional Christmas gift-giving at the school in Walferdange. After the New Year’s greeting at the castle, they were finally able to prepare for their departure when Prince Henry suddenly came down with a rash. There was initially no cause for alarm, but it turned out to be measles, which can be quite dangerous in adulthood. He deteriorated quickly and died on 12 January 1879 at 5 in the morning. The newspapers lamented the loss of “the best of princes.”5

After Henry’s death, Walferdange Castle remained empty until Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg adopted it as his summer residence. It was later also used as a hospital and as army barracks. In 2003, the University of Luxembourg opened its Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education, and it’s now used by the Ministry of National Education, Childhood and Youth. It’s currently undergoing extensive renovations.

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The wedding of Princess Maria Laura of Belgium and William Isvy

The Belgian royals came out in force yesterday for the wedding of King Philippe’s niece, Princess Maria Laura, to William Isvy. As the wedding was not a state occasion, it went ahead despite the news from the United Kingdom. A special prayer was dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth II during the ceremony. The families are distantly related through Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Belgium’s first King had also been married to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom.

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Princess Maria Laura wore a Vivienne Westwood silk gown with a 4-metre long train. The corset and neckline were inspired by the 18th century, and the fabric across the shoulders is reminiscent of ancient greek statues. The Diva train was added to create a presence in the Cathedral. She also wore the Savoy-Aosta Diamond Tiara, which made its way into the family through Maria Laura’s father, Prince Lorenz. He is the grandson of Emperor Charles I of Austria.

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Several foreign royals also attended the wedding, including Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg.

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The Year of Empress Elisabeth – The assassination of Sisi

Empress Elisabeth of Austria was an icon during her lifetime, and her tragic death only enhanced the magic. In the summer of 1898, Elisabeth met with her husband in Bad Ischl, where they were joined by their daughter Archduchess Marie Valerie. Elisabeth was “in low spirits, as always.”1 Elisabeth then departed for Bad Nauheim while Valerie and the Emperor remained in Bad Ischl for a few more weeks.

The cure in Bad Nauheim did nothing for the Empress, and she wrote to her daughter in July, “I am in bad humour and sad, and the family can be glad that they are away from me. I have a sense that I will not rally again.”2 From Bad Nauheim, she travelled on to Switzerland. She simply loved Lake Geneva. “It is my favourite place to stay because there I am quite lost among the cosmopolites: it confers an illusion of the true human condition.”3

Elisabeth in Territet (public domain)

Elisabeth was staying in the Territet, just outside Montreux, where she had stayed several times before. She intended to take a cure for four weeks. From here, Elisabeth and Countess Sztaray set on 9 September for an excursion to Pregny. In Pregny, they had lunch with Baroness Julie Rothschild, walked around the park and visited an orchid nursery. Elisabeth was travelling under the pseudonym Countess von Hohenembs. After a three-hour visit, Elisabeth and the Countess continued to Geneva, where they would spend the night before returning to Montreux the next day. In Geneva, Elisabeth visited a pastry shop and bought toys for her grandchildren before retiring early. Unfortunately, the hotel manager was all too aware of his important guest, and the following day the newspaper ran the story that the Empress was staying at the Hotel Beau Rivage. It sealed Elisabeth’s faith.

Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni had been preparing himself. He had bought a murder weapon, a file that he had ground to a triangular shape and given a knife edge. However, he intended to kill Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans, the pretender to the French throne, who had not, as planned, come to Geneva. He also could not afford to travel to Italy for his preferred victim, King Umberto of Italy. He had found his new victim in the newspaper. On 10 September, Luigi began observing the comings and goings at the hotel. Elisabeth intended to return to Montreux with the 1.40 pm lake steamer, and a servant had already gone ahead with the luggage. Elisabeth emerged from the hotel, accompanied by the Countess, dressed in black. In one hand, she carried a parasol and in the other an umbrella. They walked to the landing stage, just a few hundred meters from the hotel. In those few hundred meters, Luigi was lying in wait.

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He threw himself on the ladies, glanced under the parasol to make certain and stabbed Elisabeth in the heart. Elisabeth fell onto her back. Luigi fled but was captured by a passerby and taken to the police station. Elisabeth got to her feet and dusted off her clothes. She seemed fine. The two ladies continued walking towards the landing stage as Elisabeth asked the Countess what the man had wanted. “Perhaps he wanted to take my watch?” she asked the Countess.4 They had only just boarded the steamer when Elisabeth collapsed. It was only when her bodice was unbuttoned that the hole in her batiste camisole was spotted and a tiny brown spot. The captain was informed, and the boat began to speed back to Geneva. A litter was made from oars and velvet chairs, and the Empress was placed on it. She was returned to the hotel, where the doctor could do nothing but pronounce her dead. Blood had trickled so slowly into the pericardium that the heart had stopped gradually.

L-R Elisabeth, Franz-Joseph and Rudolf

Emperor Franz Joseph’s response to his wife’s death was composed. Their daughter Marie Valerie wrote that her father had wept, “but even then he did not lose his composure, and he quickly regained the calm he had shown after Rudolf’s death. Together we went to Sunday mass, and then I was allowed to spend this whole first day almost uninterruptedly with him, sitting next to his desk while he worked as usual, reading along with him the more detailed reports arriving from Geneva, helping him to receive the family condolence calls.”5 He later told Marie Valerie, “You do not know how much I loved this woman.”6

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On 15 September, Elisabeth’s body arrived at the Hofburg in Vienna. Elisabeth had wished to be buried by the ocean, but there was no question about it. She would be buried in the Imperial Crypt. Each of her daughters received two-fifths of Elisabeth’s estate, while the rest went to her granddaughter Elisabeth.

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Taking a look at Princess Maria Laura of Belgium

Princess Maria Laura of Belgium was born on 26 August 1988 as the second child and eldest daughter of Princess Astrid of Belgium and Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este. In 1991, Belgium changed their succession laws from salic to absolute primogeniture, which meant that Maria Laura took her place in the line of succession behind her mother and elder brother Amedeo. A royal decree dating 2 December 1991 also granted the title of Prince(ss) to all descendants of King Albert II, which included Maria Laura.1 Thus, Maria Laura wasn’t born a Princess of Belgium, but in 1991, she suddenly found herself a Princess and fifth in the line of succession.

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Three more siblings joined the family: Prince Joachim (born 1991), Princess Luisa Maria (born 1995) and Laetitia Maria (born 2003). Her mother, who had trouble learning Dutch, placed her children in a Dutch-language school in Brussels. A shy and unassuming child, she was reportedly taunted with a nickname after a famous alien. However, Maria Laura fought back by being a good student, and she attended the International School in Waterloo for her final years of high school. On 8 September 2005, her school bus was involved in an accident, but none of the students were harmed, despite the bus completely being burned.

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As she emerged from childhood, she became a confident young woman with a sense of style. She is known for going through her mother’s closet and also that of her aunt Queen Fabiola. After graduating from high school, Maria Laura went to Paris to study Chinese at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales. She later also attended the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, where she shared an apartment with her brother. She eventually introduced him to his now wife – Elisabetta. After several internships, she started a master’s program in Political Science at the School of Oriental and African Studies. After graduating, she began working for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development as a financial analyst. She kept in touch with her aunt Princess Esmeralda, who also lives in London.

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In December 2021, Maria Laura announced her engagement to the French-born William Isvy. Her engagement ring is a round sapphire surrounded by diamonds. William is an asset manager at a London firm, where the couple has lived together for a few years. She officially received permission to marry on 31 January 2022 from her uncle King Philippe – this is necessary to retain her place in the line of succession. She is currently 9th in the line of succession.

The wedding will take place today at the Cathedral of St Michel and St Gudula in Brussels.2

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Princess Lili and Prince Archie?

With the accession of King Charles III on 8 September 2022, the children of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now entitled to be styled as HRH Prince(ss).

The 1917 Letters Patent state, “It is declared by the Letters Patent that the children of any Sovereign of the United Kingdom and the children of the sons of any such Sovereign and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales shall have and at all times hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their respective Christian names or with their other titles of honour.” This was amended in 2013 to include all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (namely The Duke of Cambridge’s children, George, Charlotte and Louis), mainly because if George had been born a girl, she would have been “Lady” rather than “Princess,” while changes to make the succession gender neutral were already underway.1

Now that Charles is King, Archie and Lili are “the children of the sons of any such Sovereign” and are thus entitled to HRH Prince(ss).

However, as the Duke and Duchess have already decided to forego the courtesy titles of Earl of Dumbarton for Archie and Lady for Lili, it seems unlikely that they will be using their newfound royal titles.

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The new line of succession to the British throne

With the accession of King Charles III, there is an updated line of succession. The top 20 currently looks like this and contains ten women.

1. Prince William, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge

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2. Prince George of Cornwall and Cambridge

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3. Princess Charlotte of Cornwall and Cambridge

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4. Prince Louis of Cornwall and Cambridge

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5. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

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6. Archie Mountbatten-Windsor

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7. Lili Mountbatten-Windsor

(Photo by Alexi Lubomirski/Handout/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Prince Andrew, Duke of York

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9. Princess Beatrice

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10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi

We are delighted to share that we have named our daughter Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.

We are all doing well and Wolfie is the best big brother to Sienna. pic.twitter.com/6abMIXDSLT

— Princess Beatrice of York (@yorkiebea) October 1, 2021

11. Princess Eugenie

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12. August Brooksbank

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13. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

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14. James, Viscount Severn

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15. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor

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16. Anne, Princess Royal

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17. Peter Phillips

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18. Savannah Phillips

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19. Isla Phillips

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20. Zara Tindall

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Here’s what happened to the Dukedom of Edinburgh

With the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on 9 April 2021, his titles passed to his eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales. Prince Charles has gained the titles Duke of Edinburgh with its subsidiary titles of Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, of Greenwich in the County of London.

The College of Arms confirmed, “These peerages are hereditary and on the death of His Royal Highness have passed to his eldest son, HRH The Prince of Wales. In the event of the Prince of Wales or any subsequent holder of these titles succeeding to the Crown, these titles and all others held will merge with the Crown.”1

However, you may remember that it was announced upon the marriage of his younger son Prince Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones that “The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have also agreed that The Prince Edward should be given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course, when the present title now held by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown.”2

Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, Prince Charles automatically became King, and his titles merged with the Crown, including the title of Duke of Edinburgh. This means that Charles is now free to recreate the title for his brother Prince Edward.

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Camilla – The new Queen

With The Queen’s passing, Prince Charles ascended the throne as King Charles III. His wife Camilla is entitled to share all her husband’s titles and is automatically entitled to be called Queen (consort).

Just a few months ago, a statement was released by Queen Elizabeth II which stated that she supported Camilla becoming Queen (consort) when the time came. Camilla is legally entitled to be called Queen (consort), but an announcement at the time of her wedding to Prince Charles stated that she was to be called Princess consort. This was likely an attempt at appeasing those who opposed the wedding, and it had no basis or precedent.

As Queen (consort), Camilla is addressed as Her Majesty The Queen, even if she is not a Queen regnant as her mother-in-law was. The consort part is not used when addressing The Queen. If Charles predeceases her, she may follow the precedent of Queen Mary, the wife of King George VI, and be known as Queen Camilla to avoid confusion with the new Queen (consort).

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Remembering Her Majesty The Queen

As the dreadful news of The Queen’s passing reached us, we look back at the incredible life of the longest-reigning British monarch.

The future Queen Elizabeth II was born at 2.40 am on 21 April 1926 as the daughter of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and the future King George VI, then the Duke and Duchess of York, by caesarean. At the time, her uncle, the Prince of Wales and later King Edward VIII, was still young and expected to marry and produce heirs. On 21 August 1930, her sister Princess Margaret Rose was born, and Elizabeth became a proud big sister.

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On 20 January 1936, Elizabeth’s grandfather King George V died and was succeeded by her uncle, now King Edward VIII. By then, he was already well into his relationship with Wallis Simpson, for whom he would give up the throne by the end of the year. On 10 December, all the brothers came together for the signing of the abdication document. Elizabeth’s father was now King George VI, and Elizabeth was first in the line of succession. She was now the most famous child in the world. Shortly after her 12th birthday, Elizabeth became the President of the Children’s League of the Princess Elizabeth of York Hospital for Children, a move to give her more responsibilities.

The year 1939 saw Elizabeth taking her education a different course – she began lessons in constitutional history twice a week with the Vice Provost of Eton College. It was also the year Elizabeth fell in love with her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece, whom she met during a visit to the Royal Naval College, where the 18-year-old Prince was enrolled. But, for now, love would have to wait because a war was looming. Her 18th birthday in 1944 meant that she could now act as a Counsellor of State, which enabled her to carry out state business if the need were to arise.

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In early 1945, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), where she learned the theory and practice of mechanics. Then, at last, came Victory in Europe. The family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the King in his naval uniform and Elizabeth in her ATS uniform. Margaret and Elizabeth were later allowed to join the crowds in the care of some officers. On her 21st birthday, she spoke the now-famous words, “I declare before you that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great Imperial family to which we all belong.”

On 9 July 1947, the engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten was announced. Shortly before the wedding, Elizabeth’s father bestowed a number of titles on his future son-in-law. He was to be the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich and should be addressed as “His Royal Highness.” On 20 November 1947, Elizabeth and Philip were married at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth wore a dress by Norman Hartnell of pearl-and-crystal-encrusted ivory silk satin with a 15-foot train. After the hour-long service, Elizabeth emerged as Duchess of Edinburgh and the newlyweds were driven to Buckingham Palace in the Glass Coach.

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After their honeymoon, they took up residence in Clarence House. Elizabeth soon found herself pregnant with her first child. On 14 November 1948 – not even a year after their wedding – Elizabeth gave birth to a son named Charles. Philip was determined to have a career in the navy, and he had been taking courses at the Naval Staff College at Greenwich. He took up active service in October 1949 and became based in Malta, and Elizabeth joined him there. In 1950, she was pregnant once more, and on 9 May, she flew back to London to resume some of her royal duties. On 15 August 1950, Elizabeth gave birth to her second child – a daughter named Anne.

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However, as her father’s health deteriorated, Elizabeth was called upon more than ever to stand in for her father when he was too sick to do so. It was soon apparent that both Elizabeth and Philip were needed to represent the sovereign. King George VI was seriously ill with cancer. They would need to go on a long-planned state visit to Australia, New Zealand and Ceylon and decided to add a few days in Kenya. On 31 January 1952, the King and Queen went with Elizabeth to the airport to wave them off. In the early morning of 6 February, the King was found dead in his bed – the cause of death was a blood clot in his heart.

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After a 19-hour flight back home, Elizabeth emerged as Queen dressed in a simple black coat and hat. At Clarence House, Elizabeth found her grandmother Queen Mary waiting to kiss her hand. On 15 February, her father was laid to rest. By April, the family had moved into Buckingham Palace, and she adopted an office schedule, which she would maintain throughout her reign. Almost every day, she attended to the red leather dispatch boxes filled with official government papers. Two months before Elizabeth’s coronation, Queen Mary died in her sleep, and upon her request, the coronation was not postponed. The coronation was the first of a British monarch to be televised, though the most sacred parts were left out. Elizabeth had made Charles, Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 26 July 1958, but he was not invested until 1969.

She fell pregnant again in 1959 and gave birth to a second son named Andrew on 19 February 1960. By October 1963, Elizabeth was once again pregnant – by then four months. Charles was already off to Gordonstoun while Anne was at boarding school at Benenden. On 10 March 1964, she gave birth to a third son named Edward. By the middle of the 1960s, anti-monarchist feelings were on the rise and the family was accused of being out of touch and pompous. However, Elizabeth continued to keep track of the newspapers and held steadfast throughout all the social changes of the decade.

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The third decade of her reign saw her make 15 commonwealth trips, including six long tours of Pacific countries. On 21 April 1976, Elizabeth celebrated her 50th birthday. She celebrated 25 years on the throne the following year – her Silver Jubilee. On 15 November 1977, she became a grandmother for the first time when Anne gave birth to a son named Peter. He was born without a title. His sister Zara was born in 1981. Their first child Princess Beatrice was born in 1988, followed by Princess Eugenie in 1990. On 29 July 1981, Prince Charles married Diana at St. Paul’s Cathedral as an estimated 600,000 people lined the streets. The marriage was soon on the rocks, but it would produce two sons, Princes William and Harry. She now had four grandchildren, but there was no slowing her down, and she made several international visits. In 1986, it was time for Prince Andrew to marry Sarah Ferguson, and upon their wedding, they became The Duke and Duchess of York. Anne was the first to officially divorce – on 28 April 1992 – and she remarried Timothy Laurence later that same year.

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The year 1992 has gone down in history as The Queen’s annus horribilis. Not only did Anne divorce her husband, but Sarah and Andrew announced their intention to separate, and the Sunday Times also published two excerpts of Andrew Morton’s book, Diana: Her True Story, which blew up. The year ended with the horrible news that Windsor Castle was on fire. It was eventually decided to open the palace to the public to pay for the renovations. Four days after the fire, Elizabeth spoke at a luncheon at the Guildhall, “Nineteen ninety-two is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘annus horribilis’.” On 9 December, it was announced to the House of Commons that Prince Charles and Diana would be separating. Their divorce came through on 28 August 1996 – just four months after the official divorce of The Duke and Duchess of York.

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A year after the divorce – on 31 August 1997 – Elizabeth was informed that Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed had been in a car accident. They and their driver had been killed. In the following days, as Elizabeth attempted to protect her grandsons from the outside world and to grieve in private, the public began to accuse her of being cold. She had not expected the immense outpouring of grief, and the public was not appeased until she spoke the day before the funeral and managed to praise the daughter-in-law with whom she had been at odds, “In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.” Five years after her annus horribilis, Windsor Castle was restored to its former glory and Elizabeth, and Philip celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.

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The royal family began to manage its public duties more closely in the last years of the 90s. The media had changed, and so should they. But those last years also brought a new set of worries for Elizabeth – mainly for her mother and sister, who were both in ill health. The Queen Mother was approaching her 100th birthday, and Margaret had suffered a stroke in 1998. However, there was also some good news as Elizabeth’s youngest son Edward married Sophie Rhys Jones on 19 June 1999, and they became the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

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The Queen began the year 2000 with her 13th visit to Australia, but the health of both her mother and her sister remained on her mind. Princess Margaret passed away in the early hours of 9 February 2002. Her funeral took place on 15 February – fifty years to the day of King George VI’s funeral. The Queen Mother died on 30 March 2002 with her daughter and Margaret’s grandchildren and her niece Margaret Rhodes by her side. She was 101 years old. On 9 April 2005, the Prince of Wales finally married Camilla Parker Bowles – who had been gradually brought into the fold. The Church of England had recently relaxed their rules – allowing for divorcees to remarry. On 20 November 2007, Elizabeth and Philip celebrated 60 years of marriage, and there was a commemoration in Westminster Abbey where their grandson Prince William read from the Book of John. They flew to Malta – where they had lived as a normal couple long ago – on the 20th. On 21 December 2007, Elizabeth surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria to become the longest-living British monarch.

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On 29 December 2010, her first great-grandchild – Savannah Phillips – was born. This was followed by another great-granddaughter – Isla – in 2012. Her grandson Prince William married Catherine Middleton in 2011, and they have three children together, including Princess Charlotte. Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018, and their first child – Archie – was born on 6 May 2019, followed by a daughter named Lili in 2021. Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall in 2011, and they have three children together. Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in 2018, and their first child – August – was born in 2021. Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and their first child – a daughter named Sienna – was born in 2021.

On 6 February 2012, Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, but for Elizabeth, it would always be the day her beloved Papa died. In a statement, she said, “In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness.” In 2015, she also became the longest-reigning British monarch.

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Her health had remained robust with just a few health scares in recent years. In 2013, she developed symptoms of gastroenteritis but was allowed to return home from the hospital the following day. She also had cataract surgery in May 2018. She celebrated her 95th birthday in 2021, shortly after being widowed. Her Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in 2022, but she was forced to miss several events due to mobility issues. She continued to scale down her public duties, and one of her last acts was to appoint Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister.

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Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022, leaving behind a grieving nation.

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