Queen Elizabeth II wanted to spend time with her great-grandchildren during what became her final summer, according to a new royal biography. In “Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story,” Robert Hardman wrote that the late monarch hoped to bring her family together at Balmoral Castle in 2022.
Hardman wrote that the Queen specifically wanted all of her great-grandchildren to visit her in Scotland, including the children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Queen Elizabeth Wanted Great-Grandchildren at Balmoral
According to an excerpt published by the Daily Mail, Hardman wrote, “The Queen wanted all the great-grandchildren to come up to Balmoral at some point over that summer, even if the Sussexes might not be able to make it.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, traveled to the U.K. earlier that year for the Platinum Jubilee. According to the book, the Queen wanted to make sure her great-grandchildren had happy memories with her.
“‘She wanted to make sure that they all had a really happy memory of her,’ explained a friend of the family,” Hardman wrote.
At the time, the Queen had 12 great-grandchildren, including the children of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Her Majesty’s Final Summer Reflected Sense of Closure
Hardman also reported that the Queen showed signs of declining health during the summer of 2022. Before traveling to Balmoral, she carried out a series of engagements at Windsor that some close to her described as having a sense of finality.
The author wrote that she visited her horses and her fell pony, Emma, for what was described as “one last time.” She also hosted audiences and attended a Privy Council meeting before leaving for Scotland.
“‘We had a private chat at the end of it,’ said one of those present. ‘I felt a bit emotional when I left because, well, it just felt to me like a goodbye.
She had some very clear messages about how she thought things would go in the future. Very clear, indeed!’” Hardman wrote.
While the palace did not publicly disclose details about her health, Hardman noted that insiders referred to “a number of things” affecting her during that time. He added that the Queen was aware of her condition and used the time to organize final matters.
Inside Queen Elizabeth’s Final Days at Balmoral
The Queen carried out her final official engagements at Balmoral on Sept. 6, 2022. During that meeting, she accepted the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and formally appointed Liz Truss as his successor.
The meeting marked a historic first, as it was held at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace due to the Queen’s mobility issues.
“‘She stood up to greet me,’ Truss said. ‘She was clearly physically not very well, but we talked for about 20 minutes. She was alert,’” Hardman wrote. “‘I would say she was relieved that the thing had actually happened and that we were now moving things forward.’”
Queen Elizabeth died two days later, on Sept. 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle at age 96. Her eldest son, King Charles III, immediately became king.
