Relaxing at a vacation home. Light paperwork. Friends,
family, and beloved pets. This is how the queen spent the end of her life at Balmoral Castle.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II was heartbreaking, for not only the family who knew and loved her,
but also for people worldwide who had never known a time when she wasn't on the British throne.
Wars, natural disasters, terror attacks, political coups, and assassinations all
came and went under her 70-year watch, yet she remained a constant throughout — resolute and
calm. Former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair said of her guidance during his time in office:
"I found her not, um, just useful, but sometimes deeply insightful."
Although it was accepted that a 96-year-old monarch was approaching the end of her life,
the queen's death still came as a shock of its suddenness. While she had been scaling back her
official duties because of her mobility issues, she was active and on her game up to the end.
For those looking for comfort from the sad news,
the queen died at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she and her family enjoyed decades
of summer holidays and Christmas celebrations. She'd traveled there in July, as was her custom,
and spent her final weeks savoring the relaxed country lifestyle with family and honored guests,
according to the Daily Mail. Guarded closely by her personal assistant, sergeant-at-arms,
and her Page of the Backstairs, the queen took care not to overexert herself as she
walked her dogs, did "light paperwork," and watched horse races on television.
A source told the Daily Mail that, apart from age-related aches and extremely "sore feet,"
the monarch had no apparent health issues, which made her death even more unexpected.
The queen was surrounded by love in her final weeks. Over the summer,
visitors included her son Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex,
who was widely known as "the queen's favorite," according to The Sunday Times. The children
of her late sister, Princess Margaret, also spent time with her, as did the future king,
William, Prince of Wales, and his family. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, opted not to visit.
The weekend of September 2nd, 2022, would be the queen's last, but it was a special time. Page Six
reported she spent that Saturday having lunch with her son Prince Charles — now King Charles
III — daughter Princess Anne, and the Reverend Iain Greenshields, a Church of Scotland minister.
Rev. Greenshields described the queen as being "full of fun" and "the life and soul of things."
"Oh really?"
While her mobility may have been limited, the queen's mind most certainly was not.
Reverend Greenshields recalls that she chatted readily about everything from the war in Ukraine
to horses she'd owned decades earlier. The previous week,
another minister visited and echoed those sentiments. Minister Martin Fair said:
"She was absolutely switched on about everything, current affairs and historical memories. It was
absolutely lovely to see her smile, and there was still that part of her that enjoys some fun."
Just two days before her death, Queen Elizabeth met with Liz Truss,
the newly elected British prime minister, in the drawing room of her Balmoral estate.
While waiting for the prime minister, the queen graciously let photographer
Jane Barlow take a few candid shots. The now-famous pictures of the queen in front
of the fireplace would be the last the public would ever see. Barlow told the Daily Mail:
"When I came into the room with the Queen's press secretary she was very
smiley and then moved across the room into position, and there was a wee while while we had
to wait for Liz Truss to be announced, so during that short time she did comment on the weather."
Those final photos speak volumes about the queen's character: Despite whatever pain or concerns she
may have had, she was ever the professional. Just as she had greeted 14 other prime ministers
in her reign, the queen made sure to extend a handshake and a message of support to Truss.
Just 48 hours later, Truss would alert all of the United Kingdom that the queen was under
medical supervision — a coded message signaling that a long and historic reign was about to end.