The Queen knew she wasn't going to come back from Balmoral and wanted to pass away at the Scottish residence, a royal expert has claimed. Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair's royal correspondent, believes the monarch wanted to spend her final days at Aberdeenshire estate, as opposed to Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away "peacefully" at the age of 96 last Thursday, with some of the royal family by her side. Over the summer, she had spent most of her time at her beloved Balmoral Castle as she struggled with "mobility issues", according to the Mirror.
The royal correspondent believes the Queen knew she wanted to pass away there and had never had any intention of returning to London or Windsor. Katie the BBC : "The Queen knew she wasn't going to come back [to Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace ], I think she wanted to be in Balmoral and she wanted to pass there."
Huw Edwards, who was presenting the programme, admitted that despite the Queen's ill health, she wanted to stay at the estate. He said to Katie: "The Queen, with serious health issues, decided nonetheless that she did want to spend a good deal of time at Balmoral during the summer.
"That decision speaks volumes really about the fact that she was A) very comfortable to be in Balmoral, somewhere where she was happy to be with lots of good memories. But knowing too, with health issues and the challenges there, it might be a difficult stay and yet she insisted on making the journey."
The royal correspondent agreed and said the Queen had wanted to make the trip - regardless of being advised to stay at Windsor. Katie said: "She insisted on making the journey and I think, she was the Queen of Scots and I think she wanted this to be part of her homecoming, her ultimate homecoming."
She also believed Her Majesty would have "left her crown at the gates" to stay at Balmoral - just to be a "mother, grandmother and great-grandmother". Katie added: "I think Balmoral was the one place where she could actually leave her crown at the gates and be a different role, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.
"I actually think there's a bit of her that knew she wasn't going to come back, I think she wanted to be in Balmoral and she wanted to pass there. And the fact that she did peacefully is actually a blessing in all of this."
Balmoral was popular with the Queen and also Prince Philip - who enjoyed spending summers there with his grandchildren. The Cambridges, along with other royal grandchildren, spoke of their memories of staying with the Queen at the Scottish estate - with William admitting he will cherish the time his children spent with their gran there.
William's children George, nine, Charlotte, seven, and Louis, four, had previously spent their summers at the state, which was used for the family to relax from the spotlight.
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