‘Even on her deathbed there was work to be done.’
In 2022 we had to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth, who died at the age of 96. Now, a year and a half later, her private secretary Sir Edward Young has revealed new details about her final moments.
No pain
The details come from an official document, currently held in the Royal Archives. This document is now being made public in a new biography of King Charles, Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, which will be released on January 18.
The document was written by Edward Young, who had served as the sovereign’s private secretary since 2017. He talks about the circumstances surrounding the death of the late queen. He writes that she died very peacefully in her sleep: “She was not aware of it. No pain.”
Red suitcase
The secretary also reveals that HM realized that she did not have long to live. According to him, a well-known red suitcase with important documents was found on the queen’s deathbed. This was handed to Young by a footman, and it contained, among other things, a sealed letter to her son Charles and a letter to Sir Edward Young himself.
The suitcase also contained paperwork detailing Elizabeth’s final royal command: her selection of candidates for the prestigious Order of Merit award. Even in her last days, the queen did not give up her dedication to her duties. Wow!
Unexpectedly fast
The document also explains how the other members of the royal family dealt with the situation. For example, King Charles rushed to Balmoral by helicopter after hearing about his mother’s health. At that moment he still assumed that she had a few days left to live. That turned out to be only a few hours.
Charles personally called both Prince Harry and Prince William and asked them to come to Scotland as soon as possible. Unfortunately, both grandsons were unable to say goodbye while Elizabeth was still alive.
The British Queen died on September 8 at 3:10 PM sharp. She was buried on September 19.
Source: Beau Monde | Image: NL Image
