Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in English history, died at 96 years old in Scotland this morning, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.

The palace released an update on the queen’s health yesterday evening, confirming her medical supervision in Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Shortly after, the palace released their statement about the queen’s death. 

Born in 1926, Elizabeth assumed the throne in 1952 and reigned for 70 years, serving her country through critical events in British and world history including the period of decolonization after World War II, the formation of the European Union and Brexit. Fifteen different prime ministers served during the queen’s rule, ranging from Winston Churchill to the recently elected Liz Truss, whom the queen met on Tuesday. 

“I kind of expected [the queen] to outlive me because she’s always been there,” Phoebe Castle (11), who previously lived in London from 2011 to 2013, said. “When I was a kid, and when we first moved to Britain, she was there. When we moved away, she was still there. It’s going to be weird having all this change because she’s literally been there [for my and my friends’ in Britain] entire lives.”

According to a statement from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, the queen had met with a total of 14 American presidents and had commemorated major American events including the bicentennial of the United States’ independence. 

“Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States,” President Biden’s statement said. “Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief.” 

President Biden’s statement also touched upon how his administration aims to maintain a close relationship with the royal family moving forward. 

Upper school U.S. history teacher James Tate lived in London during the 60th year of the queen’s reign, known as her Diamond Jubilee, in 2012. While Tate does not feel that her passing will directly affect the U.S. politically, he emphasizes the significance of the queen’s prior role as a symbol of stability to the U.K., whom Tate deems America’s “closest ally.”

“In the United States, we have so many political and cultural changes all the time,” Tate said. “But when [the queen] died, the British and the world lost this cultural fixture. She took the throne in 1952. Think about how much the United States has changed since 1952. That’s pre-Vietnam War. That’s the middle of the Korean War. That’s the middle of the Red Scare. That’s before the United States desegregated schools. The world has changed so much since then.”

In addition to providing stability for her nation, the queen’s influence reached other countries as well, including the U.S. Upper school European History teacher Byron Stevens believes her international impact, stretching beyond her reign, will impact the futures of many nations. 

“[During her reign, England has] become more democratized,” Stevens said. “It’s become more diverse. And I think it has adjusted quite admirably to a smaller but still impactful role in world affairs. I think it’s something that a country like the United States could actually learn from and model.”

Operation London Bridge, the protocol planned by the U.K. government, media and the queen herself, coordinates nation- and world-wide mourning of the queen’s death. The phrase “London Bridge is down” initiated the operation and signified the official passing of the queen. In accordance with the procedure, the country lowered its flags to half-mast and reverted the national anthem to “God Save the King.” 

Elizabeth’s first son, the newly-crowned King Charles III, is the next in line to succession of the royal throne and hence assumes the queen’s previous role as head of the Commonwealth. 

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother,” King Charles said in a statement. “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”