The Princess of Wales did not go to Balmoral with Prince William for the Queen’s death because she wanted to look after their children, a book has claimed.
Royal biography Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story is published next week and early excerpts have also said the new monarch was out picking mushrooms when the Queen died.
Robert Hardman has researched and written about the death of Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, and the events that followed directly after it.
Due to the procedure, which was codenamed London Bridge, Charles could only tell his sons about his mother passing before the wider world knew. This led to him saying “it’s me,” rather than “the King” when he called William’s people to ask him to come to Balmoral.
The newly minted King then attempted to phone Harry but was unable to get through which led his second son to discover the news of the Queen’s death from a news feed.
William and Harry both made their way to Balmoral but without their wives. While Meghan was expected to stay in the US, due to their much-publicised split with the Royal family, Kate stayed at home for a different reason.
Mr Hardman wrote that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had been set to start their school, Lambrook, for a new term on September 8, the day the Queen passed.
Therefore she considered that at least one parent should be at home.
The book read: “It was by luck rather than judgement, but it made it a lot easier to tell Harry that he was coming alone.
“Like the late Duke of Edinburgh, she [Queen Elizabeth] did not like a queue of family well-wishers flocking to her bedside when ill.”
The Queen was buried on September 19 and Charles immediately became King as soon as she died but was crowned last May.
