The queen of England, Elizabeth II, took her final breath at Balmoral Castle on Sept. 8.  She held the throne for over 70 years and was known as England’s longest-reigning monarch. The throne has been passed down to her son, Charles, who now possesses the title of King. The newly-throned king released the following statement the day after Elizabeth’s passing:

“Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived, a promise with destiny kept, and she is mourned most deeply in her passing,” King Charles III said. “That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.”

As the queen was a huge icon worldwide, her death received a massive global response. The topic has emerged within news channels, podcasts, radio

shows and articles. Soon after the news spread globally, it emerged in schools as a topic of discussion. Many history teachers may use this opportunity to help educate students on the now-former queen.

“I was told by my AP Euro class, and I’ll be honest; I was shocked,” World, US and AP Euro history teacher Frank Henry-Reyes said. “If I were to say she did a good job as a monarch, I would be discounting all her subjects that may have had negative experiences with her. We recently just spoke about Elizabeth I in AP Euro, so after Elizabeth’s death, the students and I tried to find correlations between the first and second Elizabeth.”

As her life extended through many different eras of British history, it could explain why Britain’s historical methods have been a topic of conversation once more.

“People have started to examine both the constitutional monarchy and colonization and decolonization in Britain once more and whether or not they play a part in modern society,” Henry-Reyes said. 

The Queen’s death’s impact on the world inspired many to attend her funeral. It accumulated thousands of attendants and received 11.4 million online viewers in the U.S. alone, which suggests that this event will not be forgotten. Celebrities like David Beckham and Tilda Swinton alongside Megan Markle and Prince Harry (who departed from the royal family) were some of those seen attending the ceremony.

For Sage Creek sophomore Elias Cawelti, the Queen’s death felt very sudden.  

“Well, it was my birthday, so it was kind of odd for me,” Cawelti said. “She was definitely a good ruler. Throughout her life, the monarchy did not have as much power as it once did, but I admired how she never took sides on political issues.I believe she did a good job.”

Elizabeth led the country through countless highs and lows and it will take time before England is adjusted into a world without this long-ruling Queen. Queen Elizabeth II was not only loved by the people of England, but by people all around the globe. Her brilliant spark of compassion and goodness will be preserved by future monarchs to come. 

After all, Elizabeth once stated, “When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”