8. The Reign's End

The last years of the Queen's life underlined her place at the heart of national life. From a unique state visit to the Republic of Ireland to the Diamond Jubilee, from the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles to London 2012, she remained a potent symbol. During the Covid-19 pandemic her effectiveness at capturing the public mood was re-affirmed in a series of powerful broadcasts. But, as James Naughtie explains in the last episode of Radio 4's new podcast on the reign of Elizabeth II, the concluding years of the Queen's reign were also coloured by personal heartache. Prince Philip, who had been such a stalwart support to her throughout their marriage, died in 2021 and relations with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who chose to step back from public duties and live abroad, were sometimes strained. Yet the transition to a new era was also carefully and discreetly carried on as an extraordinary reign drew to a close.

London Olympics © 2012 IOC/BBC Sport Queen's Jubilee © 2022 Buckingham Palace/STUDIOCANAL/BBC Studios Productions Limited