A close royal confidante has revealed details about some of the final, emotional conversations Queen Elizabeth II shared with her friends in the days leading up to her passing on September 8, 2022.
Gyles Brandreth, who maintained a strong connection with the monarch and the late Prince Philip, documented the Queen’s final days at Balmoral in his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait.
He recounts how the late Queen welcomed the Right Reverend Dr. Iain Greenshields to Balmoral on September 3 and 4, describing her as being “so alive and so engaging.”
According to the Mirror, the author wrote that “he has dinner with her on Saturday evening, gives the sermon at Braemar and Crathie Parish Church on Sunday morning, then has lunch with her on Sunday afternoon.”
The author shared that on the morning of September 6, Clive Cox, a racehorse trainer greatly favored by Her Majesty, received a call from the Queen at 10 a.m.
She had wanted to discuss her two-year-old filly, Love Affairs, who was set to race at Goodwood in the two o’clock event.
Recalling the conversation, he said: “We talked about the filly, how the race might pan out, how another horse of hers was doing in my stable, and about a couple of other things. She was sharp as a tack.”
Later that same day, Queen Elizabeth also met with her 14th and 15th prime ministers. Reflecting on the late Queen, Boris Johnson remarked: “She could not have been kinder, more sympathetic or personally encouraging.” He also noted that she displayed her “characteristic humour and wisdom.”
Jane Barlow, a photographer for the Press Association, captured the final portraits of the late monarch as she awaited the arrival of Liz Truss, who was then the new Prime Minister, at Balmoral.
Reflecting on the experience, Jane said, “I got a lot of smiles from her,” and described it as “an honour” and “a real privilege” to take those photographs.
Speaking to Sky News, she shared: “I was there to photograph her meeting the new prime minister but for me the best picture was the one of the Queen on her own. And it has obviously become more significant now.”
The former prime minister also shared details about her last conversation with the Queen, revealing her parting words: “I’ll see you again next week.”
Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022. Initially, Buckingham Palace did not disclose the cause of her death, but the National Records of Scotland later released an excerpt from her death certificate to the public.
The document listed the cause of death as “old age” with no other contributing factors. It also confirmed that the 96-year-old monarch passed away at Balmoral Castle at 3:10 p.m. on September 8.