Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest serving monarch, has died

Queen Elizabeth II, whose 70-year reign spanned wars, a pandemic, 14 presidents and the winding down of Britain’s vast empire, has died. Her eldest son, Charles, is now king.

“The queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the royal family said in a statement. “The king and the queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

The longest-serving British monarch was 96.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor is also survived by her other children, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and their spouses. Prince William, next in line to the throne, and Prince Harry are among her eight grandchildren. She has a dozen great-grandchildren.

What next?

Well Charles, a member of the WEF, is far less popular than his mother, with a public persona seen by many as divisive.
Unlike the queen, whose popularity is based on her discreteness and impartiality, Charles has been caught up in a number of political controversies, such as writing letters to government ministers in an attempt to influence policy — verboten now he has become the country’s politically powerless constitutional monarch.

The future of the Commonwealth is also in doubt. This group of 56 member states is seen as a voluntary successor to the British empire, but recently there have been calls among its Caribbean members for Britain to pay reparations because of the crown’s historical links with the slave trade. Last year, Barbados ditched the British monarch of its head of state, and others, including Jamaica and even Australia have signaled they may one day follow.