Her Highland estate – every purple-hued bough filled with memories of her beloved Philip – was a huge source of comfort after the hardest of times. A source with close ties to the Royal Family recently told me that he was not suffering from any chronic condition. Another said: “She’s lost a lot of weight and feels all the pains you’d expect a 96-year-old woman to feel and has been having terrible problems with her sore legs.” But there is no doubt that Her Majesty’s sudden weakness and declining health came as a shock to many around her. In addition, the loss of her 73-year-old husband combined with the drama of Harry and Meghan’s acrimonious departure from the family and the deeply disturbing allegations swirling around Prince Andrew have taken a “deep emotional toll” over the past two years. An insider told me recently: “Her Majesty has always been discreet, but you can see with your own eyes how much of an impact it has had on her emotionally. It caused her great distress and it was not an easy time.’ However, as the Queen arrived at Balmoral in late July – first moving into the smaller, more comfortable seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge on Royal Deeside, before moving to Balmoral Castle a mile away on August 9 – the Highland air seemed to bring a sense of comfort. and relief. Accompanying the queen were a handful of loyal staff who vowed to stay with her to the end. Life of service: The Queen, with her wand and a bruise on her hand, smiles on Tuesday as she greeted outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his successor Liz Truss Favorite bolt: Balmoral Castle, where the Queen spent her final hours, was a huge comfort to her during her lifetime Paul Whybrew – ‘Tall Paul’ – and Barry Mitford, her sergeant at Backstairs, were with her, as always. The two men were her regular companions, bringing her the Racing Post every day and sitting side-by-side with her to watch her favorite sport on TV. Also at her side was Angela Kelly, the daughter of a Liverpool dockworker who became her right-hand woman with the title of Personal Assistant, Counselor and Steward to Her Majesty the Queen. Fiercely protective Angela – cleverly named ‘AK47’ – didn’t leave her side. “Wrap the queen in cotton wool,” a source told me over the summer. “She was very overprotective and made sure His Majesty didn’t do too much.” A source with intimate knowledge of developments at Balmoral told me the Queen spent her final weeks enjoying the country life she adored. She and Philip were at their happiest in the Highlands, enjoying the existence of a fairly normal married couple – it was no coincidence that she chose to release a photo of them together after his death. Indeed, the Queen was seen just a few weeks ago walking her corgi around the gardens, slowly and cautiously (as many seniors were afraid of falling over, especially in public, which is one of the reasons she was so careful with engagements she chose to undertake in public ) but still out in the fresh air. Her Majesty arrives at Balmoral Castle for the start of her summer holidays on 21 July She and Philip were at their happiest in the Highlands, where they enjoyed the existence of a fairly normal married couple The Queen spent her last hours in the bosom of her family, in the place where she spent so many happy moments with her beloved Philip The family has been a regular visitor to the Scottish castle for more than half a century A ‘stream’ of family came to see her, most recently the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three lively youngsters whom ‘Gan Gan’ – as the children called their great-grandmother – found such a tonic. Notable absentees were the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a story in itself. The late monarch was particularly comforted by the regular presence of Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, whom she adored like a second daughter, and the two children of Princess Margaret’s late sister, Lady Sarah Chatto, and the Earl of Snowdon, whose it was. so dear “It was a very typical and happy summer at Balmoral, lots of walks and picnics and barbecues. He followed the pace set long ago by the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh. Obviously the Queen wasn’t present throughout, but she took part and was seen,’ a source said at the time. Another royal source who met the Queen a few days ago described her as “in really good spirits”. “I know you’d expect me to say that, but it was real,” they said, suggesting her fall on Wednesday night was sudden. On Tuesday she met not only her outgoing and incoming prime ministers, but undertook an investigation and light paperwork. And yet, behind the scenes, concern was growing rapidly among senior Buckingham Palace officials about how much the Queen might be expected to do when she returned to Windsor Castle. “They were already pacing her and warning people that she had now reached the point where if she needed to do X, she couldn’t do Y and that engagements were the exception, not the rule. “But there has been an undeniable shift in the strength and urgency of the talks in recent weeks,” my source said at the time. The Queen attends an audience with the President of Switzerland at Windsor Castle on April 28 (Left to right) The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace on December 8, 2016 The Queen was spotted just a few weeks ago walking her corgis in the gardens – something she has been doing for decades Prince William is now heir to the throne of the United Kingdom following the ascension of Prince Charles following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Above: The Queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony with Prince Charles, Prince William and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June Indeed, I can reveal that over the past fortnight there have been high-level discussions between senior courtiers at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House – including her private secretary Sir Edward Young, his rival at Clarence House, Sir Clive Alderton and his Master of householder, Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt – about exactly what business duties, if any, the Queen might fulfill when she returns to Windsor in the autumn. “It had become clear to everyone that while she was mentally agile, physically she was not up to the pressure of the role, and there were serious discussions about what duties, if any, she could fulfill,” my source said. he said then. “The engineers were already designed to ensure that the Prince of Wales could take on most of her day-to-day responsibilities.” In other words, a complete regency in all but name. Significantly, on Tuesday night, I received a call from a friend of a friend who said: “It doesn’t look like the Queen will be coming back from Balmoral in October. Everyone in Windsor is deeply worried about her.’ It had long been suggested, I should explain, that after the Duke of Edinburgh’s death, the Queen would move almost full-time to Scotland. It’s something I know was discussed in the Royal Household, but it was always unlikely – for practical reasons as much as anything. Buckingham Palace declined to comment. Such matters have now been superseded by yesterday’s events. But surely we can all take some small consolation that the Queen spent her last hours in the bosom of her family, in the place where she spent so many happy moments with her beloved Philip, looking out over the Scottish highlands she loved so much.
