On the eighth of September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II died in her residence, Balmoral Castle. It brought to a close a reign which saw fifteen Prime Ministers, fourteen US Presidents and four and a half RGS headmasters. Queen Elizabeth II has overseen the great progress of the United Kingdom and commonwealth. In the words of Liz Truss, PM, ‘Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built’. On the evening of her coronation, she made a broadcast to the nation stating ‘my Coronation, is … a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God’s Grace and Mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen.’ And she did indeed serve ‘for the years’- made all the more impressive by her age of 96. Such was her commitment that 48 hours before her passing she reported for duty as she had done every week for the past seven decades.

The Queen’s ascension to queendom was somewhat improbable. At the time of her birth in April 1926, although she was third in line to the throne behind only her father George and uncle Edward, Edward was young and was expected to have children who would precede both Elizabeth and her father in the succession. However, this did not happen as Edward sought a relationship with Wallis Simpson – an American socialite and crucially, divorcee. Her status as thus barred her from becoming a queen, forcing Edward to choose. He chose to marry and abdicated less than a year after becoming king in 1936, putting Elizabeth’s father George on the throne. Even though she was now first in line to the throne, Elizabeth was still not guaranteed to become monarch. She was heir presumptive rather than heir apparent; thanks to the male favouring laws of succession, she was still a ‘plan B’ and could be superseded by a younger brother should one be born. Nevertheless, as George VI reigned, he grew ill and Elizabeth took on more royal duties, gradually replacing him as his health waned until his death in February 1952. Against the odds, Elizabeth Windsor-Mountbatten became Queen Elizabeth II. It is, perhaps, ironic, that Britain’s longest reigning monarch, was never meant to reign.

Despite her constant diligence regarding remaining neutral in all matters, the Queen occasionally showed hints of a defiant streak. One such time would be in 1998 when the then prince of Saudi Arabia paid Balmoral Castle a visit. Having offered Prince Abdullah a tour of the estate, Queen Elizabeth surprised her guest by jumping into the driver’s seat. At the time, Saudi Arabia’s oppressive laws forbade women from driving, and this was likely the first time he had ever been in a car driven by a woman. Anecdotally, the Queen made the most of her training as a driver in the war and put their land rover through its paces on the narrow country roads, all while casually making conversation to the prince. The prince was reportedly so frightened that he begged Her Majesty (via interpreter) to ‘slow down’ and ‘watch the road’. It is instances such as these, which lead the Queen to be held in such high regard by so many; according to Olivia Colman who portrays Elizabeth II in the Netflix drama The Crown, Queen Elizabeth II was the ‘ultimate feminist’. A sentiment which has, admittedly, been criticised strongly as well as supported over the years.

Above all, the Queen has been defined by one word. Respect. She respected others and has been respected. She had the utmost respect and dedication to her people, and they, in a similar fashion had profound respect for her. Her presence was a glue which bound together not just the United Kingdom but the greater commonwealth as well. The Queen of England was not just a monarch, she was a mother and grandmother, the head of a religion, a celebrity, a meme and a prominent figure in popular culture referenced in everything from Pixar’s Megamind to The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army. She was a woman that the world respected. It is fitting therefore that estimates at the time of writing put the number of people who will watch her funeral at a staggering 4.1 billion people. Over half the currently population of the planet, and over double the population of the planet when she was born. She now lies at rest in Windsor Castle, bringing an end to longest reign in British history.