Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully aged 96 on Thursday, surrounded by her family at Balmoral Castle. Her Majesty has been placed under medical supervision, with a statement released in the afternoon saying that royal doctors were worried for her health.
Senior royals rushed to the Scottish Highlands to be by her side, with the now King Charles III, Queen Consort, and Princess Anne arriving first and later joined by the the monarch's other children and grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry. Her death was later confirmed in a statement issued by the Palace at 6.30pm, with the country entering a 10-day national period of mourning.
The country's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II committed herself to a life of public service until the very end and continued working in the days before her death, the Mirror reports. She is said to have spent one of her 'happiest' summers at her beloved Aberdeenshire estate - a place where she shared many precious memories with late Prince Philip and her loved-ones.
Here, we take a look at how the Queen, who celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June this year, filled her final days:
Balmoral retreat
As usual, the Queen chose to spend the summer in her private Scottish residence of Balmoral Castle, located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. She flew out by private helicopter on July 21 - and has in the past been pictured boarding the jet with her clan of corgis - and was expected to remain there for a few months until October to enjoy some time away from royal duties.
The Queen resided in the comfortable seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge on Royal Deeside, before moving to live in Balmoral Castle, just a mile away, on August 9. She was joined by a handful of committed staff, including Page of the Backstairs Paul Whybrew and her Serjeant-at-Arms Barry Mitford, who were with her until the very end.
The two men were said to have brought her the Racing Post each morning and accompanied her in watching television. Her righthand woman, Angela Kelly, who worked as the Queen's personal assistant and dresser, was also there to ensure the Queen was comfortable and didn't overexert herself.
The treasured Balmoral retreat has been handed down through generations of the royal family after being first occupied by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, who described Balmoral as her "heaven on earth". On Saturday, September 3, the Queen missed the Braemar Gathering - the popular Highland Games event that she usually attends every year.
It is understood the decision was taken for the comfort of the head of state and King Charles attended in her absence. The sovereign has been pictured in the past enjoying herself and laughing at the event, watching the tug-of-war and sack race.
Remaining at home, the Queen was joined by Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields - Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly - on Saturday evening for dinner and for Sunday lunch, alongside the king and Princess Anne. The clergyman, who had stayed with the Queen following a sermon at Braemar and Crathie Parish Church, said she was "full of fun" and "the life and soul of things" before her passing.
Describing Her Majesty in the days leading up to her death, he told The Times: "It was a fantastic visit. Her memory was absolutely amazing and she was really full of fun."
He also told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that she was in "great form". Dr Greenshields added: "She was in really good spirits - obviously frail, you can see that, but absolutely on the ball.
"She was talking about her past, her love for Balmoral, her father, her mother, Prince Philip, horses, very much very engaged with what was happening in the church and what was happening in the nation too. This frail lady came in but there was still that sense of who she was and that real sense of making you feel immediately at ease, engaging with you immediately in conversation, a nice bright smile, everything you would expect of your monarch."
With Balmoral being one of the Queen's favourite places, he thinks she would have been happy to spend her final days there. He said: "In conversation with her she took me over to the window and she was looking over her gardens with great pride and affection and I think that that's where she would have wanted to spend her last days and I would think the family are comforted by that."
Meeting with Liz Truss
On Tuesday, September 6, the Queen hosted a historic audience with new Prime Minister Liz Truss in the informal surroundings of her Scottish home of Balmoral. While the Queen was said to have ongoing mobility issues, she looked bright yet frail as she used a walking stick to greet the leader of the Conservative party.
Photographs showed the pair in the green drawing room for the Monarch's tradition of 'kissing the hands' to welcome the 15th leader of her reign. It was the first time Her Majesty had conducted the appointment in Scotland instead of in London at Buckingham Palace.
The pair chatted for around 30 minutes before the Queen was visited by the outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who tendered his resignation. In true fashion, the Queen, who was wearing a cardigan and a skirt of Balmoral tartan, didn't let go of her black patent handbag.
On Wednesday, September 7, the 96-year-old had been due to hold the Privy Council virtually, however doctors had ordered her to rest after a 'full on' Tuesday. A Palace spokesman said: "After a full day yesterday, Her Majesty has this afternoon accepted doctors' advice to rest. This means that the Privy Council meeting that had been due to take place this evening will be rearranged."
During the proceedings, Ms Truss would have taken her oath as First Lord of the Treasury and new cabinet ministers would have been sworn into their roles, and also made privy counsellors if not already appointed as one in past. There is no constitutional issue with the delay to the proceedings, the palace said.
Spending time with family
The Queen's last summer at Balmoral was said to be one of her happiest - where she could take comfort in the fond memories made at the Aberdeenshire estate following hardships and controversies surrounding the royal family in recent times. It will have been a time where she could reflect on previous summers with her husband of 73-years, who died last April during the coronavirus pandemic, where she was sadly pictured alone at his funeral due to lockdown restrictions.
Each summer, members of the family are invited to Scotland to spend time with the Queen, taking in the fresh air across the 50,000-acre estate with country walks with the corgis, horse riding, and fishing, among other activities. It's a place where the royals can act like a normal family, with picnics and barbecues.
Her Majesty usually attended a Sunday church service at Crathie Kirk, located on the estate. However due to the Queen's mobility issues, it's highly unlikely she'll have ventured far in recent days.
Her son, now King Charles, had been making regular morning visits to check in on his mother amid her health worries, along with his wife the Queen Consort. A stream of other family members had been to see her over the summer, and most recently the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now the Cornwalls, had a trip there with their three children before they started their new school in September.
Her Majesty also had regular visits from her son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, along with her late sister Princess Margaret's two children, Lady Sarah Chatto, and the Earl of Snowdon. The Queen's granddaughter Princess Eugenie previously described Balmoral as one of the "most beautiful" places on the planet.
Speaking during the Our Queen At Ninety documentary, Princess Eugenie said: "I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands."
She added: "It's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there; where you just have room to breathe and run."
The princess also recalled how the late Duke of Edinburgh did the cooking at a family barbecue, while the Queen did the washing up. In her final hours, it is understood that her daughter Prince Anne was already by her side, as she had been undertaking engagements in the area, along with King Charles III.
While jets collected her other children and grandchildren, Her Majesty died before Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex arrived at Balmoral. By coincidence, Prince Harry was in Britain for a charity engagement scheduled that evening, however he was still in the air when the death was confirmed.
King Charles III released a statement following his mother's death, saying: "The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother.
"I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held."
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