Queen Elizabeth II, who served as Queen of England and the Commonwealth for 70 years and was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has died today at the age of 96. She passed away at her Balmoral estate, surrounded by her family, including her son Charles who effective immediately is the new King of England.
This morning, her doctors announced they were “concerned” with her health, that reportedly had been deteriorating for the past few months. This afternoon, Buckingham Palace confirmed that one of the world's most revered monarchs has died at the age of 96.
Queen Elizabeth II witnessed, was present, and was even the subject of many historical events we often see portrayed in movies and TV series that center around Europe. She was known for always finding a way to rise above tabloids and put matters to rest, whether the subject was her sister Princess Margaret (who died in 2002), the Royal Family scandal with Princess Diana, and the recent parting of ways with her grandson Prince Harry, who gave up on his Royal Family duties to marry American actress Meghan Markle (Suits).
Through their official Twitter account, Buckingham Palace released a statement in which they tell the public that the Queen “died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon”. Her four children and extended family are all at Balmoral or on the way there – including the heir to the throne, Prince Charles.
Queen Elizabeth II was played by dozens of actors in cinema and TV. One of the most notable performances was from Dame Helen Mirren in The Queen, which earned the British actor an Academy Award for her performance. The film, directed by Stephen Frears (Florence Foster Jenkins), chronicled the controversial seven-day period in which the monarch refused to make any public manifestation regarding Princess Diana of Wales’ tragic death. She then came around after public pressure, and made a legendary statement on national television.
Netflix series The Crown also chronicles the life of Elizabeth II. As it takes place across her early life and 70-year reign, the role was shared between several high-profile actresses, including Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and, most recently, Imelda Staunton – whose performance will debut next season.
One of cinema’s most curious depictions of The Queen was in Pixar’s animated movie Cars 2. In a world where humans don’t exist, the British monarch was represented as a Rolls Royce Phantom IV – a vehicle normally associated with royalty. The “queen” on wheels in the story was voiced by Vanessa Redgrave.
Aside from being the longest reigning monarch ever, Queen Elizabeth II was also the oldest living one. Her legacy is closely related to cinema history, and we certainly haven’t seen the last of her in our screens. But for today, we are raising the Collider flag at half-mast.
You can check out The Royal Family's tweet below: