SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Buckingham Palace has confirmed the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in a public statement. "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."
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
Enda Brady, Media Consultant and former Sky News Reporter, told KCBS Radio news anchor Holly Quan the United Kingdom is shaken to its foundation.
"This is seismic news for Britain, for British people all over the world. This is an extraordinary woman who has passed away at the age of 96," he said.
Before her reign, 21-year-old heiress presumptive Princess Elizabeth made a broadcast from Cape Town where she dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth. She held true to that promise, working up until Tuesday to meet the new Prime Minister Liz Truss.
"I thought the queen looked quite frail in that photograph," Brady said. "Her first Prime Minister was Winston Churchill. Churchill was born in the 1870s, Liz Truss was born in the 1970s — that gives you an indication of the longevity of Queen Elizabeth."
It's been just over one year since the queen lost her life partner Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. "Losing Philip last year was terrible for her," Brady remembered. "We're losing the end of an era really."
Next in line for the throne is Charles, Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla Parker Bowles, The Duchess of Cornwall. "Charles has waited his whole life for this moment and that's the awful thing about the monarchy is that when you’re the heir, you're effectively spending your whole life waiting for a parent to pass away so you can take their job," he said.
Britain will now hold 12 days of mourning to commemorate their queen. "Queen Elizabeth II is the DNA, the fabric that runs through every facet of British life," Brady said. "There will be many, many people shedding tears right now across the U.K."
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
