According to royal biographer Robert Hardman, the summer of 1969 was far from smooth sailing for Queen Elizabeth II.
Speaking on the Daily Mail’s Palace Confidential YouTube show, Hardman revealed that the late monarch suddenly cancelled a string of engagements, with the Palace publicly blaming the flu. However, he claims there may have been a much deeper reason behind her absence.
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Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘secret breakdown’
In his book Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story, Hardman explores what he describes as a deeply challenging period for the Queen.
At the time, preparations were underway for King Charles III to be invested as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. While the ceremony was meant to be a grand and celebratory occasion, tensions were rising behind the scenes.
Hardman explained: “The ceremony was going to be the coronation mark two,” before revealing that the situation took a darker turn. Welsh nationalist group Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru had planted explosive devices, and tragically, there were fatalities linked to the unrest.
He added: “It was a very tense moment… People were really nervous, worried about the direction the world was heading in.”
A trying time for Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles
As a result, the Queen was said to be deeply concerned for her son’s safety.
Hardman claimed: “The Queen had always taken the view that if something happened to her, she’d live with it – die with it. But this was the threat of terrorism against her son.”
After the investiture, Charles headed off on a tour of Wales. Meanwhile, the Queen returned to London and withdrew from public duties, cancelling major appearances including Wimbledon and garden parties.
Officially, the Palace cited illness. However, Hardman shared a different perspective, stating: “Someone very close to her team told me that it wasn’t flu, it was nervous exhaustion.”
He added: “I don’t think you could call it a full nervous breakdown… but it was the nearest thing.”
Although she returned to duties just over a week later, the episode offers a rare glimpse into the immense pressure she faced behind palace walls.
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