Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, has sadly passed away, aged 96, it has officially been confirmed.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed the news in a statement released today.
During her 70 years on the throne, Elizabeth II served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures and religions.
She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the United Kingdom for 70 years and was beloved by many for her sense of duty and devotion to her role.
The statement reads in full: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
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The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
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. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W
The confirmation of HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s passing comes after Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday 8 September that she was “under medical supervision” at Balmoral after her doctors had become “concerned for Her Majesty’s health”.
A meeting of the Accession Council is now expected to gather at St James’s Place to proclaim the accession of Prince Charles as the new Sovereign.
As per the late Queen’s wishes, Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, will be known as Queen Consort and is also expected be crowned at his coronation.
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Arrangements for the lying-in-state and funeral must wait on the decisions of the new King, Charles III.
HM Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Queen Elizabeth II’s Life
HRH was born Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) in 1926.
Having left the UK for a tour of Kenya with her new husband of just five years, it was at the region’s Treetops Hotel that she would learn of the death of her father, George V, on 6 February 1952.
After receiving the news, she immediately canceled her projected journey to Switzerland and returned home urgently with the Duke of Edinburgh to be with her family and make arrangements for her father’s funeral.
The Coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London.
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Elizabeth II acceded to the throne at the age of 25, being proclaimed Queen by her privy and executive councils shortly afterwards.
The Coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
During her reign, she served as an important figurehead for the UK and the Commonwealth during times of enormous social change.
Throughout her life, she remained committed to public and voluntary service and was linked to over 600 charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organisations.
From the preservation of wildlife and the environment to the protection of young children, in her role as Royal patron or president she brought much publicity to important charitable causes throughout her lifetime.
She was passionate about horses and racing, first learning to ride when she was just three years of age and continuing to ride up until the age of 94, which is the last time she was publicly spotted on horseback.
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A longtime racehorse owner, in 2021 she was presented with a horse racing honour that inducted her into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame.
In the BBC documentary, The Queen’s Racehorses: A Personal View, she said: “My philosophy about racing is simple. I enjoy breeding a horse that is faster than other people’s, and to me, that is a gamble from a long way back.
“I enjoy going racing but I suppose, basically, I love horses, and the thoroughbred epitomises a really good horse to me.”
HRH was also famous for her love for dogs, which was inherited from her father, King George VI – who brought home the family’s first corgi, a puppy named Dookie, in 1933.
Her Majesty bred over 30 canines during her reign and is credited with creating the Dorgi, a dachshund-corgi hybrid, after one of her pet corgis mated with her sister, Princess Margaret’s dachshund Pipkin.
Featured Image – Sergeant Adrian Harlen (via Crown Copywright)
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Urgent travel warning issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is gearing up for what is set to be one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Manchester‘s biggest music festival, Parklife, returns to Heaton Park this weekend (Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June), with tens of thousands of people expected to make the journey to see headliners Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Zara Larsson, as well as many other well-known music names… but that’s not all.
Over at the Etihad Stadium, Take That are set to perform a series of shows across the weekend, while the Etihad Campus will also host the Women’s Netball Final at Co-op Live from 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
The city will also welcome Lily Allen and the B52s across three nights at the AO Arena, and the Women’s Cricket World Cup will draw thousands to Emirates Old Trafford on 21 June, when South Africa take on India.
So, as you can see, we’ve got a jam-packed couple of days coming up.
📣 This weekend is expected to be one of the busiest in Manchester, with multiple events taking place across the city.
🚗 Public transport, roads and venues are likely to be extremely busy.
🕛 If you’re travelling anywhere this weekend, please plan ahead and allow extra time… pic.twitter.com/iqtmlSpAOR
In fact, it’s estimated that more than a quarter of a million people are expected to be travelling to the various events over the weekend, and of course, this means the roads and public transport will be significantly busier than usual.
Whether you’re one of the many fans or just making a regular journey, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is advising everyone to ‘plan ahead’, allow extra time for their journey, and avoid the busiest areas and times.
To prepare for the increase in travel, TfGM has confirmed that there will be more trams serving event venues, alongside extended tram operating times, to ensure everyone gets home safely.
For travel to and from Parklife, the specific Parklife travel ticket – which will be available on the Bee Network app – is valid on trams and buses across Greater Manchester, and this includes relevant shuttle buses operating to and from the city centre.
An urgent travel warning has been issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year / Credit: Steve Turvey (Supplied) | TfGM
Throughout the weekend, extra staff and TravelSafe Support Officers will be out and about across the transport network to help passengers, and TfGM will be working closely with police and other partners to manage roads and the transport network around the clock.
“We’re expecting it to be very busy across the network, with more than a quarter of a million fans travelling to various sports and music events,” commented Danny Vaughn, who is the Chief Network Officer at TfGM.
“We will have as many staff as possible on the network, running as many services as we can to ensure that the Bee Network is here to help you get where you need to go.
“So, for everyone looking to get out and about, please plan ahead, check the Bee Network app for updates and have a safe journey.”
A dedicated travel page for this weekend’s event has been set up, so you can find out everything you need to know and get live updates on the Bee Network website here.
Featured Image – TfGM
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‘Powerful’ firearms found in Stockport suburb as police search for answers
Danny Jones
Concerning news coming out of Stockport after two “incredibly powerful and dangerous” firearms were found in the Brinnington area of the town.
The weapons have been secured by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), but the nature of their discovery has drummed up plenty of questions among local authorities.
Stumbled upon this past Friday, 12 June, officers in Stockport found both a handgun and, even more shockingly, a submachine gun in simple rubbish bags.
The high calibre and fire rate of the respective weapons, specifically, have understandably added to the level of worry among police and residents alike.
As per an official GMP release, an MP5 model SMG and a ‘Grand Power’ handgun were uncovered, although the exact location of the ordnance has not yet been disclosed.
Troubling stuff, to say the least.
However, at present, they believe the attempt to conceal and/or dispose of the weapons is likely a reaction to their ongoing efforts to disrupt criminal activity and remove dangerous weapons from the streets across the region.
Stopfordian sectors of the city-region are among many across the surrounding 10 boroughs, with Brinnington in particular seeing a more ramped-up level of searches.
Detective Inspector Mark Graham, leader of the SK Challenger Team, said: “We have done some fantastic work in recovering firearms in Greater Manchester – between April 2024 and April 2026 – GMP took 150 firearms off our streets.”
#Brinnington neighbourhood intensification operation sees multiple arrests and seizures
In the 2 weeks since our work began, we have secured 15 arrests for offences including possession with intent to supply, failing to appear at court, dangerous driving, & weapons offences. pic.twitter.com/zJS9QIYJTD
Nevertheless, he goes on to say that “Friday’s discovery has prevented potentially serious harm to those who work and live in the area”, adding in the full statement: “These types of weapons have no place on our streets and are incredibly powerful and dangerous.
“Our investigation is progressing, and we are following numerous lines of enquiry in relation to who these belong to and how they ended up where they did.”
As always, they are urging anyone with information about illegal firearms or suspicious activity in and around the Stockport region to contact police ASAP, either over the usual 101 number or by dialling 999 immediately in emergency situations.
If you would rather get in touch online, you can report potentially useful info via the live chat function on the GMP website, or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The Manc -
8th September 2022 
