Queen Elizabeth II was forced to deal with a lot of heartache in 2021. After the sad
passing of her husband, the queen lost two other people she was very close to throughout
her life.
The monarch sadly lost her husband of over 70 years, Prince Philip, who died in April
at the age of 99. In addition, there were some highly publicized problems within the
royal family, including the rift with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and the sexual assault
accusations against Prince Andrew. In addition, the queen also suffered some health complications
that forced her to spend a night in hospital and cancel many of her plans and appearances
at the end of the year.
As the holidays rolled around, it was reported that the queen felt melancholy without her
husband. Plus, the royal family couldn't celebrate Christmas together due to the ongoing Covid-19
pandemic. A source told Us Weekly,
"Christmas was a bit of a struggle for the queen without Prince Philip by her side [...] And
not being able to spend it with her whole family [didn't help]. She's not one to wallow
in self-pity and kept her chin up."
"But life, of course, consists of final partings, as well as first meetings."
Sadly, around the holidays, the queen was forced to deal with more devastating loss
as she said goodbye to two other loved ones. On December 3, 2021, Queen Elizabeth lost
her loyal Mistress of the Robes. Ann Fortune FitzRoy, Duchess of Grafton, served as the
queen's Mistress of the Robes from 1967 right up until her death. Fortune was the wife of
Hugh FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton, and the grandmother of Henry FitzRoy, 12th Duke of
Grafton. Fortune was deeply involved with the royal family, and was by Elizabeth's side
for decades. Her loss was surely felt deeply by the queen.
Throughout her 54 years as Mistress of the Robes, Fortune accompanied the queen on numerous
trips around the globe, including official visits to Nigeria in 1956, France in 1972,
Morocco in 1980, and Russia in 1994. Elizabeth honored Fortune on several occasions, naming
her a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1965, a Dame Commander in 1970, and finally
a Dame Grand Cross in the 1980 Birthday Honors. Additionally, Queen Elizabeth II is godmother
to Fortune's third child, Lady Virginia, who was born in 1954.
Fortune outlived her husband by a decade, and upon his passing, their grandson Henry
rose to the title of 12th Duke of Grafton, and now runs the family estate, Euston Hall.
Fortune is survived by four children, as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
There is no doubt that she is deeply missed by her family and the Queen alike. Unfortunately,
Queen Elizabeth's losses didn't stop there.
The monarch lost yet another important person in her life when her close friend and lady-in-waiting,
Diana, Lady Farnham, died on December 29, 2021 at the age of 90. Farnham served as Lady
of the Bedchamber for over three decades after joining the queen's staff in 1987. Farnham
was named Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1998, and later became Dame Commander
in 2010. While she was employed by the queen, she was also considered to be one of Elizabeth's
dearest friends. A source told The Telegraph,
"It is very sad for the Queen. Everyone loved Lady Farnham, she was always so good humored
[...] She was also a very glamorous and attractive woman. She was always very generous to new
people joining the household."
Sadly, Lady Farnham's death happened less than a month after Elizabeth lost the Duchess
of Grafton. As the source told The Telegraph,
"It has not been a good year for the Queen — losing her husband and then the Duchess
of Grafton and now Lady Farnham [...] They were dear friends who supported the Queen
on official duties. Unfortunately, a sad consequence of living a long life is that you have to
say goodbye to a lot of people you care about."
Fans are now hoping that the Queen will have a better 2022 as she's set to celebrate her
Platinum Jubilee. The Queen will have ruled for 70 years as of February 6, 2022, which
will make her the first British monarch to ever celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. She can
look forward to the massive celebration planned for a weekend in June.
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