Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch (70 years), passed away at 96 in London, paving the way for her first-born Prince Charles to become the King and a long-planned "Operation London Bridge" goes underway in the British Isles. The national anthem immediately shifted back to "God Save the King". 🌎 Queen Elizabeth II Dies at 96: Operation London Bridge Sets In With Passing Away of the Longest Reigning British Monarch.