A newly released biography of Queen Elizabeth II has shed light on an emotional request the late monarch reportedly made in the final weeks of her life, offering a glimpse into the private thoughts behind her final summer at Balmoral before her death.
According to Robert Hardman’s book, Queen Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story, the queen had one heartfelt wish when it came to her growing family.
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, aged 96, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her death was recorded as old age, just months after she marked an extraordinary 70 years on the throne.
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In keeping with tradition, the monarch had spent her final summer at her beloved Scottish estate, where she often retreated during the warmer months.
Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘wish’ for her great-grandchildren
Hardman claims the queen was keen for all of her great-grandchildren to make the journey to Balmoral that summer.
At the time, she was a great-grandmother to Peter Phillips’ daughters Savannah and Isla, Prince William’s children George, Charlotte and Louis, and Zara Tindall’s kids Mia, Lena and Lucas.
She also counted Prince Harry’s children Archie and Lilibet, Princess Eugenie’s son August, and Princess Beatrice’s daughter Sienna among her great-grandchildren. Two more great-grandchildren, Eugenie’s son Ernest and Beatrice’s daughter Athena, were born after the queen’s death and did not meet her.
In the book, Hardman writes: “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.
“‘She wanted to make sure that they all had a really happy memory of her,’ explained a friend of the family.”
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
The queen’s final days before her death
Even in her final days, Queen Elizabeth II continued to carry out her duties.
On September 6, 2022, just two days before her death, she met Liz Truss as the then-Conservative leader was formally appointed the 15th prime minister of her reign.
The queen wanted all the great-grandchildren to come up to Balmoral at some point over that summer.
Reflecting on the meeting, Truss told Hardman: “She stood up to greet me. She was clearly physically not very well but we talked for about twenty minutes. She was alert. I would say she was relieved that the thing had actually happened and that we were now moving things forward.”
A photograph from that day showed the queen smiling warmly, dressed in a tartan skirt and grey cardigan, with a walking stick in hand. It would become the final image taken of her.
Just days later, Buckingham Palace confirmed the queen’s death, prompting an outpouring of grief across the UK and around the world.
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Her state funeral followed on September 19, 2022, as the royal family and the nation came together to say goodbye to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
Many will remember the Queen in their own way, but for her, it seems those final family moments mattered most. Do you have a favourite memory of Queen Elizabeth II? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.