2 Chronicles 22-24

Athaliah had adopted some very bad from her mother, Jezzabel. For 15 years she was a corrupting influence in Jerusalem; eight as the queen, one as the queen mother, and six as the ruling queen. Jehoiada the chief priest led the revolt against this evil queen. Her punishment for usurping God authority was the loss of her life. She was executed between the temple of God, which she despised, and the palace, where she had led her dictatorship. The summary of the atmosphere in all of Judah is found in 2 Chronicles 23:21; "All the people of the land celebrated." We don't know how many served her during those 16 years. But there were few who were loyal to Athaliah in her death. The reason is given in the next summary phrase; "for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah." Not only did she reject the LORD God of Israel but she was continually stirring up the people. The majority of people is Jerusalem were oppressed, frustrated, or downtrodden during her time in Jerusalem. With the end of Athaliah's life there was a time of peace and tranquility.
Stuart