The photographer who captured the last public images of Queen Elizabeth II before her death has opened up about her final conversation with the late monarch.
The Queen passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral, her beloved Scottish estate. Hundreds of thousands of people have travelled to royal landmarks across the UK to pay tribute to the late Queen and to welcome King Charles III as his reign was proclaimed on Saturday.
Just two days earlier, the Queen asked Liz Truss to form a new government when she visited Her Majesty's residence in Aberdeenshire to formally become prime minister.
For the latest updates as the world mourns the Queen and King Charles III's reign begins, follow our live blog.
The images of Truss and the Queen marked a new dawn of political power - but they now vividly symbolise the Queen's final days as the last photographs of the monarch before she passed away.
Jane Barlow, a Press Association photographer, was sent to Balmoral to capture the moment between the Queen and the new prime minister.
She has described her last conversation with the Queen and revealed what the mood was like at Balmoral on a day that now holds even more significance.
Before the upcoming prime minister arrived at Her Majesty's highland retreat, Barlow had a few minutes alone with the Queen and decided to take some portraits of her.
She described the beloved monarch as looking "frail” but in “good spirits”.
While shooting the poignant images, Barlow described enjoying classic British conversation with the Queen, as there was small talk about the weather thanks to there being gloomy skies and heavy rain throughout the day.
When Truss entered the room, the Queen met her with a "big smile" according to the photographer, who has worked for the PA news agency in Scotland for six years.
You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here.
Since taking the photographs, Barlow has received "so many lovely comments" about capturing those final public moments.
She said: "It’s a real privilege to be able to take that picture, an honour and a privilege. It’s like that for a lot of our job.
"I was there to photograph her meeting the new prime minister but for me the best picture was the one of the Queen on her own. And it has obviously become more significant now.”
Opening up about the Queen on that day, Barlow continued: "She certainly did look more frail than when I photographed her in the summer.
The touching photographs show the late monarch smiling while standing in the drawing room at Balmoral - a home where she reportedly felt most at peace.
Royal fans in Scotland have continued to pay their respects to the Queen, with many leaving flowers, gifts and other tributes at Balmoral castle in Aberdeenshire, as well as the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain's longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pull-outs.
