KUCHING, Sept 9: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, has passed away at the age of 96, announced Buckingham Palace.
She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon (Sept 8, London time) at her Scottish home Balmoral Castle, surrounded by members of the Royal Family.
As news broke, condolences have been pouring in from all over the world, mourning the death of the Queen who had seen Britain through decades of change.
Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne when she was 25, following her father’s death, King George VI, on Feb 6, 1952.
During her long reign of 70 years, she was Queen of Britain and more than a dozen other countries, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Her Majesty had also seen 15 prime ministers serve under her, with Winston Churchill as the first and Liz Truss as the current post holder.
Following the Queen’s death, the throne was passed immediately to her eldest son, Charles, the former Prince of Wales, to be known as King Charles III.
According to BBC News, it is expected that Charles will be officially proclaimed King on Saturday at St James’ Palace in London.
During her reign, Her Majesty visited Malaysia three times, namely in 1972 for a special visit, in 1989 for the 11th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and in 1998 for the closing of the 16th Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah posted on social media earlier today, saying that Malaysia extends sincere condolences to the monarch’s family, the people, and the government of the United Kingdom on the Queen’s passing.
“Her Majesty was a towering figure and led a lifetime of dedication and service to the people of the UK and the Commonwealth,” he added. — DayakDaily
