LONDON, UK — The death of Queen Elizabeth II shocked the world after the British royal spent 70 years on the throne. She died Thursday at the age of 96.
Although Buckingham Palace officials, nor the Royal Family, have specified the exact cause of death, the Royal Family announced online she "died peacefully." A cause was not yet mentioned. However, the Queen's departure comes after reported health issues over the last year.
She spent the night in a London hospital in October 2021 after canceling a trip to Northern Ireland.
The next month, the Queen missed the Remembrance Sunday service in London that pays tribute to Britain's war dead because she sprained her back, according to Buckingham Palace.
It would be a few months later when she told guests at a reception “as you can see, I can’t move.” The palace, tight-lipped about details, said the queen was experiencing “episodic mobility issues.”
What are "episodic mobility issues" exactly? Well, it mostly impacts elderly people. It's not actually a formal diagnosis, but the definition of episodic is to occur occasionally and at irregular intervals. "Mobility problems" in elderly people can mean muscle weakness, joint problems, pain and loss of mobility, according to the National Institute of Aging.
Most recently, in February 2022, Elizabeth tested positive for COVID-19. The diagnosis prompted concern and get-well wishes from across Britain’s political spectrum for the queen, the country's longest-reigning monarch.
Her COVID diagnosis followed behind concerning health issues in 2021 when Elizabeth also announced she would be reducing her time in public for several months, prompting speculation. She canceled various major engagements late last year but returned in April 2022 to public duties.
The palace announced she died at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland, where members of the royal family had rushed to her side after her health took a turn for the worse.
In a statement from King Charles, "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." The official website of the Royal Family was also temporarily unavailable while it underwent changes.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.