(Image via Twitter) Buckingham Palace has confirmed what had been feared — the Queen is dead at 96. She was the second-longest-serving sovereign monarch in human history, the longest-serving British head, survived 15 prime ministers (barely meeting the most recent this week), served in WWII and presided over an empire during a period of decolonization.
Through it all, she remained popular and respected, even in the wake of the death of Princess Diana, for which some blamed the monarchy.