Inside story of the late Queen’s final farewell: How Her Majesty ‘wouldn’t have been aware of anything’ when she painlessly ‘slipped away’ – as contents of never-before-seen memo of her last moments are revealed
- Sir Edward Young wrote in a memo that the queen’s death was “very peaceful.”
Queen Elizabeth’s final moments were captured by her most senior staff in an extraordinary – and deeply moving – memo that can be revealed for the first time today by the Daily Mail.
Sir Edward Young, her devoted private secretary, who was at Balmoral when Her Late Majesty died on September 8, 2022, commented: ‘Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have known anything. No pain.’
The existence of the historical document, which is now in the Royal Archives, has not been made public until now.
It is part of a remarkable insider’s account of the late monarch’s courage, zeal and devotion to duty in her final hours, contained in a fascinating new biography of the king, ‘Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story’ from The Mail’s esteemed royal writer Robert Hardman.
Queen Elizabeth’s final moments were captured by her most senior staff in an extraordinary – and deeply moving – memo that can be revealed for the first time today by the Daily Mail.
Charles, who had gone out to collect mushrooms and clear his head after seeing his mother, received the news that she had died while driving back to Balmoral when his top aide was called. Above: King Charles, then Prince of Wales, boards a helicopter from Dumfries House to Balmoral on the morning of September 8, 2022
The book will be published exclusively in series for four days starting tomorrow.
The biography also reveals how, shortly after Sir Edward wrote his note, a footman brought back a locked red box of paperwork found on the late queen’s deathbed.
When it was opened, staff discovered two sealed letters: one to her son and heir, now King Charles III, and the other to Sir Edward himself.
Although it is unlikely that their contents will ever be made public, the letters’ existence shows that Elizabeth, 96, quietly acknowledged that her time on this earth had come to an end.
The box also contained her final paperwork and her final royal command: her choice of candidates for the prestigious Order of Merit for ‘exceptionally meritorious service’ throughout the Commonwealth.
‘Even on her deathbed there was work to be done. And she had done that,” Hardman writes of her unparalleled devotion to duty.
Other astonishing revelations in today’s extract reveal:
Prince William drives Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, now Duchess of Edinburgh, to Balmoral on the day of the Queen’s death
Prince Harry is seen heading to Balmoral on the day of the Queen’s death
Catherine, now Princess of Wales, leaves Windsor Castle on the day of the Queen’s death. She did not travel to Balmoral
- Despite fears for her health, the late queen’s death was so sudden that Charles had to fly to Balmoral by helicopter at the last minute, reading his ‘London Bridge’ notes (the long-formed plan of action after her death) along the way. The staff didn’t even have time to prepare his car to greet him.
- The King and Queen Camilla spent an hour privately with Her Majesty before she died.
- Prince Anne and the Queen’s senior dresser and confidante, Angela Kelly, took turns at her bedside, along with the Rev. Kenneth MacKenzie, a long-serving minister at nearby Crathie Kirk, who read to her from the Bible.
- Charles personally called both his sons and urged them to travel to Scotland as soon as possible to say goodbye. At that moment he believed that the queen had days, not hours, to live
- Charles, who had gone out to collect mushrooms and clear his head after seeing his mother, received the news that she had died while driving back to Balmoral when his top aide was called. Charles stopped and was addressed for the first time as ‘Your Majesty’ before calmly putting the car in gear and driving on.
- When Charles called William on the palace switchboard to tell him the news, he was forced to simply tell the operator, “It’s me,” as he suddenly realized that he could not yet reveal that he was king.
- The king repeatedly tried to call his youngest son to tell him the news personally, but Harry was already in the air and he could not get through.
Prince William steps off the plane in Aberdeen as members of the royal family gather at Balmoral on the day she died in September 2022
Sir Edward Young, her devoted private secretary, who was at Balmoral when Her Late Majesty died on September 8, 2022, commented: ‘Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have known anything. No pain’
Charles III: new king, new court. The Inside Story is written by Robert Hardman, The Mail’s esteemed royal writer
Robert Hardman’s Charles III charts the dramatic story of the transition at the top, looking at the challenges the new king faced in his first year on the throne, including family dramas, political crises and questions about the future of the monarchy.
The book provides unparalleled access to the royal family, their close friends, past and present associates, top politicians and previously unseen papers in the Royal Archives.
It also describes the crucial role played by Queen Camilla, the King’s relationships with Prince William and Prince Harry, his plans for reforming the monarchy and his evolving position on the world stage.