Queen Elizabeth: The monarch who moved with changing world

London, September 8

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The crowning achievement of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, who died on Thursday after 70 years on the throne, was to maintain the popularity of the monarchy across decades of seismic political, social and cultural change that threatened to make it an anachronism.

Moment of greatest sadness

The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. — Prince Charles the oldest royal to ever assume the throne

Rock on which UK was built

We are all devastated… The death of Her Majesty is a huge shock to the nation and to the world. Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Liz Truss, UK PM

A dignified, dependable figure who reigned longer than any other British monarch, Elizabeth helped steer the institution into the modern world, stripping away court ritual and making it somewhat more open and accessible, all in the glare of an increasingly intrusive and often hostile media.

While the nation she reigned over sometimes struggled to find its place in a new world order and her own family often fell foul of public expectations, the queen herself remained a symbol of stability. She also tried to transcend class barriers and earned the grudging respect of even hardened republicans.

To much of the world she was the personification of Britain, yet she remained something of an enigma as an individual, never giving an interview and rarely expressing emotion or offering a personal opinion in public — a woman recognised by millions but known by hardly anyone. “I think she’s brought life, energy and passion to the job, she’s managed to modernise and evolve the monarchy like no other,” her grandson Prince William, who is now the heir to the throne, said in a television documentary in 2012.

In 1992, the queen responded to criticism about royal wealth by offering to pay income tax and cutting the number of her family members on the state payroll.

Her years on the throne were often far from smooth sailing. Critics said the only time she had shown real emotion in public was when the royals bid a tearful farewell to their magnificent yacht Britannia, months after her stoical response to Diana’s death. Opinion polls showed the country still largely believed in the hereditary monarch as head of state.

However, with her death, the monarchy’s future is set to face scrutiny like never before. Some commentators say the British public will not feel as strongly towards Charles, and polls suggest he is far less popular. — Reuters