On the second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the royal family is honoring the former monarch in their own way.
King Charles III, 75, and his wife Queen Camilla, 77, were seen attending Crathie Kirk church, which is the royal family’s place of worship when they stay at the Balmoral estate in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II was a regular attendee before her death at 96 years old on Sept. 8, 2022.
Her passing was followed by a funeral viewed by millions worldwide. It also marked the ascension of her son Charles to the throne, though he was already the heir apparent.
The royal family’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) paid tribute to the Queen, sharing a photograph of her smiling at a Buckingham Palace summer party in 2019. The accompanying caption read: “Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.”
On the first anniversary of the Queen’s death in 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, laid a wreath during a small service in Wales at St. David’s Cathedral. Outside of the post on the royal family’s social media page, the couple has yet to publicly comment on the significant date this year.
The U.K. Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, honored the late Queen in a statement. “Today marks two years since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen’s dedication to the U.K. and Commonwealth taught us that whatever challenges our country faces, the value of service always endures,” he wrote. “For the 70 glorious years of her reign, she was at the heart of this nation’s life. Today we honour her memory.”
In tandem with the anniversary, the U.K. government’s Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee issued an announcement that the new national memorial to the late Queen will be erected at St James’s Park in London. The committee, which was established by the U.K. Government and Royal Household in 2023, considered many potential spots for the official memorial, but opted for St James’s Park due to its “historical significance and personal connection to the late Queen.”
“It is only right that the memorial is situated in a location that represents the scale of her role at the heart of British society, and provides a place of reflection for the public,” said the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Rt Hon Pat McFadden.The release made it clear that the government is in the early stages of memorial construction, but that later this year, more intensive discussions with architects and artists about design proposals will begin. The official design, according to the committee, is set to be announced in 2026, when the Queen would have turned 100 years old.
