Breaking: Her Majesty, The Queen, Has Died Aged 96

Her Majesty, The Queen, Has Died Aged 96.

Elizabeth Windsor was born in Mayfair, London on April 21, 1926, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth).

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth became head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries - the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon.

Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. They received 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world. They have four children, Charles, Anne, Edward and Andrew.

The Queen surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, to become the longest-lived British monarch on December 21, 2007, and the longest-reigning British monarch and longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in the world on September 9, 2015.

Earlier this year a host of events marked 70 years of the Queen’s reign.

From street parties to picnics in the park, the Platinum Jubilee saw residents in Sussex come together to mark the occasion.

In London, music royalty descended on Buckingham Palace for the Platinum Party at the Palace.

For the show, Her Majesty appeared with Paddington Bear in a pre-recorded comedy segment. 

In the video she could be seen offering tea to the character, pulling a marmalade sandwich from her handbag and tapping her tea cup to the beat of rock band Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’.

Ten years prior, the Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee marked 60 years on the throne, and celebrations were held throughout her realms, the wider Commonwealth, and beyond.

In a message released on Accession Day, Elizabeth wrote:

“In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness.

“I hope also that this Jubilee year will be a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear head and warm heart.”

The following year in 2013 The Queen visited Sussex, starting with the West Quays Fisheries in Newhaven, later moving on to the new YHA youth hostel at the South Downs and then enjoying a drink at Harveys Brewery in Lewes. Her final stop was the new archive facility The Keep.

It was her first visit to the county since 2007 when she and her husband, the late Prince Philip, visited Brighton & Hove, taking in a concert at the Theatre Royal for its 200th anniversary, before visiting the Jubilee Library, the Dome and the Corn Exchange.

She had lunch at Brighton Racecourse before moving on to her final stop at the the Roundabout Children's Centre in Whitehawk Road, Whitehawk, which provides services to children under five and their families.

The Queen visited Sussex at least eight times during her 69-year reign.

Following her coronation three years before, she opened the King Edward VII Sanatorium in Midhurst in 1956.

Other visits included Brighton College, The University of Sussex and the Royal Observatory in Hurstmonceux in the 60s, the opening of Brighton Marina and a visit to Lewes in 1979 and the South of England Show in Ardingly in 2002.