The death of Elizabeth II marks the end of an era

is dead. The second Elizabethan era is over. In the hours and days to come, the royal family will do what it does best, and mask uncertainty and emotion with ritual and pageantry. There will be flags at half mast; ceremonies will unspool; bells will toll. But for now, there is unease.It is hard to imagine Britain without Queen Elizabeth II partly because almost everyone has only known it with her. She died at the age of 96 having come to the throne at the age of 25. The end of her reign will be marked with superlatives. Elizabeth II was Britain’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch. She featured on more currencies than any other living figure. Hers was perhaps the most reproduced image in history.