The Royal Family has weathered numerous ups and downs, but the passing of Queen Elizabeth in 2022 marked the close of a lengthy period of stability for Britain. The Queen’s remarkable 70-year reign set a record as the longest in British history, and she was cherished as one of the world’s most beloved figures.
With the Queen’s death signalling the end of an era, it also ushered in a new chapter with King Charles ascending to the throne he had been preparing for all his life. At the age of 73, Charles became king and was tinged with sorrow as he stepped into his role amidst mourning for his mother.
The Queen spent her final weeks at Balmoral before her passing at age 96. On the fateful morning of September 8, 2022, the then-Prince Charles received a call informing him that his mother’s time was drawing near.
He and his sister Anne kept vigil, taking turns sitting by their mother’s side during her last hours, as unveiled in a recent documentary.
Channel 5’s “Birkhall: The King’s Secret Sanctuary” features experts discussing the moment Charles became King and explores how he was “summoned to Balmoral” from Birkhall, his beloved Aberdeenshire home, reports Daily Record.
Jennie Bond, a former BBC Royal correspondent, revealed in the documentary: “He was told that it would probably be a few hours before she passed away.”
Royal expert and journalist Emily Andrews revealed: “Charles and Anne had been taking it in turns to sit with the Queen and then, I think, as she slipped into a coma, Charles needed a bit of fresh air and some nature.
“So he went to the grounds of Birkhall, and it was there that he took the call.”
Before Charles received the formal announcement of the Queen’s passing, he had already grasped what had occurred through two crucial words spoken when he answered the phone.
Jennie explained: “He knew what had happened. Because he was addressed by the person who rang him, the courtier, as ‘Your Majesty’ and then he knew, ‘Well, my mother has died’ and obviously he raced back to Balmoral to be at her side.”
The documentary also suggests that family members experienced a sense of comfort amid their profound grief, knowing the Queen had spent her final moments at her cherished Balmoral, a place where she had enjoyed some of her most joyful times.
Emily Andrews continued: “I think everybody in the Royal Family, actually, was really glad it happened in Scotland and for Charles as well to be at Birkhall, where it’s such a kind of safe space for him, he feels very calm and relaxed, I think was very important’.
Once word spread throughout the extended family, Prince William, Edward and Andrew quickly made their way to Balmoral, with Prince Harry arriving shortly afterwards.
Harry has disclosed that he learned of his grandmother’s passing through a breaking news alert on his phone, after experiencing a delay in his flight to Scotland.
After the Queen’s death, her coffin was transported to Edinburgh, where it lay in rest, allowing the Scottish public to bid farewell and pay their respects. Subsequently, the coffin was flown to RAF Northolt and returned to London, where it lay in state at Westminster Hall. Princess Anne was present with her mother throughout the journey, describing it as an “honour and a privilege”.