Sophia Michaels
The world is still grappling with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-ruling monarch in the history of the U.K. While Americans don’t quite have the same relationship with the British royal as their counterparts across the pond, late-night TV hosts still took a moment to address the news.
James Corden, a Brit himself, dedicated an entire segment to remembering the Queen, who died at age 96 at her home in Scotland on Thursday afternoon. The host took a more serious tone, discussing her with reverence.
“I, like the rest of the world, am so sad tonight, but also so thankful and grateful to the queen for the most incredible service and leadership she has shown during all of our lifetimes,” the host of The Late Late Show said. He added that “we viewed her as an essential part of the fabric of our world.”
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, host Jimmy Kimmel reflected on Her Majesty’s long reign. “She was queen for 70 years,” Kimmel said. “Longer than any monarch in British history. To put it in perspective for Americans, this would be like if Kris Jenner died here.”
He added, “The queen is known as ‘England’s rock’ and we don’t have a rock. The closest thing we have to a rock in America is The Rock.”
Kimmel also joked that the Queen may have decided to peacefully move on after seeing all the drama surrounding Don’t Worry Darling earlier this week.
“When you think about all the people that the queen has met with over the last 70 years, it’s really remarkable,” Kimmel said. “She’s met with everyone from Lady Bird Johnson to Lady Gaga, from Bill Clinton to Will.i.am. She met J.F.K. and J.Lo. She’s met the Beatles and the Spice Girls… Then, after all these years, this week she saw Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine and said, ‘OK, I’ve had enough.’”
On The Daily Show, host Trevor Noah suggested that we can mark the Queen’s long reign by the number of actors who played a particular superhero during her lifetime.
“She came to power in 1952. You understand how long that is?” Noah said. “That means she’s seen Adam West as Batman, Michael Keaton as Batman, Christian Bale as Batman, Ben Affleck as Batman — survived that — and then Robert Pattinson as Batman. And look, I’m sure there’s a better way to measure time than in Batman, but you get it. She’s been in the game for a minute.”
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at age 96. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace wrote in a statement. “The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” The news came just hours after Buckingham Palace released a statement noting concern for the royal’s health.
The beloved royal had a vast cultural reach. She was the subject of numerous songs, TV series, and movies, and even appeared in a sketch for the 2012 London Olympics.
