Queen Elizabeth II was the queen of the United Kingdom and head of the Commonwealth until her death on Thursday 8th September 2022.

She reigned for longer than most other monarchs. She was queen at a time of great change for the country, at a time when the empire was dismembered and replaced with a larger commonwealth. Several commonwealth countries still choose to have the monarch as head of state.

Her main success was to have been a source of dignity and continuity through these great changing times. Prime ministers come and go, and wars have been waged, and yet the queen continued to be a calming presence at the head of the country.