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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Wigan Warriors make history after yet another Super League Grand Final victory
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors have made Super League history after winning yet another Grand Final following what can only be dubbed a spellbinding season.
Beating Hull Kingston Rovers 9-2 in what was their 13th Grand Final, not only have they now lifted the trophy for the seventh time but they have also become the first team in the Super League era to win the hallowed quadruple.
To make things even more special, the landmark evening in Manchester saw them match the same achievement of winning all four major pieces of silverware 30 years on from their famous Wigan predecessors in 1994, and are one of just a handful of teams to ever do so.
Matt Peet’s side signed off on an incredible year after winning not only the Challenge Cup and World Cup Challenge but by lifting the League Leaders’ Shield and retaining their Grand Final.
Star-man Bevan French put them ahead in the game before Harry Smith gave them breathing room before half-time and despite Hull KR answering back with a penalty in their first-ever visit to the final, Adam Keighran’s kick helped make sure the Warriors made it over the line.
That’s a couple of Challenge Cups, two lots of League Leaders’ Shields, a World Cup Challenge and a pair of successive Super League Grand Final wins in just 99 games over eight months as head coach for Peet too. Generational.
While the likes of Bradford and St Helens have won all four prizes up for grabs over the course of two seasons, a record like this is simply sensational and well and truly puts them up there as one of if not the greatest rugby league side ever – as if they weren’t in the conversation already.
You can see how much it meant when they lifted the trophy:
Things look to be only getting better for the Cherry and Whites under the Wigan local and they seem to be more fitting of their Warriors title under his watch than arguably ever.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, winner of the inaugural Rob Burrow Player of the Match award French said: “It’s been an emotional week. We knew history was on the line, with the chance to be the first to win all four in a calendar year.
“This one just meant more. The club went above and beyond to surprise me by flying my brother and uncle over, so this is special. I might not ever get to feel like this again. I’ve got to take it all in.”
Winning the quadruple in the modern era doesn’t just beckon Wigan Warriors into the history books, it could signal the start of a new period of dominance as was seen in the 1980s and 90s. Are the Saints about to make way for a new Northern super-power?
You can watch the highlights from the 2024 Betfred Super League Grand Final and see how Wigan completed the quadruple down below.
Wigan Warriors are now third in the table of all-time Super League Grand Final winners too.
— Barefoot Spooky Bartender 👣💀🍹 (@barefoottiki) October 10, 2024
“Be assured there won’t be 14408mph winds, hurricane force winds or overnight temperatures of 404°C.
“It is being looked at and hopefully sorted asap.”
BBC Weather shared: “You may have noticed some data issues on our app and website. We are working hard to fix it quickly. Sorry – please bear with us.
“In the meantime here are Thursday’s weather headlines: -Colder, clearer air moving in -Rain and drizzle in south -Blustery showers near east coast”
And national treasure Carol Kirkwood said live on air: “We are having a technical glitch at the moment. It’s showing wind speeds far too fast, in fact, hurricane strength and that is not the case at all.
“Please don’t be alarmed. We are aware of it and on it.”
At the time of writing, the BBC Weather forecast service is still predicting hurricane force winds for the UK. Eek.
BBC issues statement after UK forecast shows ‘hurricane force winds’ up to 14,000mph
The Manc -
8th September 2022 
