A final diary entry written by the late Queen has revealed she met with a lesser-known royal aide shortly before she died, according to a royal author.
Just two days before her passing on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II met her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, with the late Queen documenting the meeting.
A five-worded entry was written by the late monarch which simply stated: “Edward came to see me.”
Royal author, Robert Hardman revealed the details in the updated version of his book ‘Charles III: New King. New Court’, which was released on November 7.
Queen Elizabeth, who kept a detailed diary of events throughout her life, explained that she had no time to record details of her conversations, but a log of the events, helping her remember what matters she had conducted on different days.
Sir Edward Young worked for Queen Elizabeth II for more than 18 years and appointing Liz Truss on September 6 as the new prime minister, would prove to be the late Queen’s final public engagement after a lifetime of public service.
Outlet, Tatler, reported: “It is unsurprising that the monarch was diligent in her documentation, even as illness made her increasingly frail.”
A former member of the royal household told the Sun in 2019 that Queen Elizabeth IIwrote in her diary with a fountain pen using black ink and that each diary was marked with her cypher and numbered with a Roman numeral.
It is also said the late Queen was often to be left alone to write and asks only to be disturbed if “there’s something of world-shattering importance”.
A palace insider also revealed to The Sun: “She uses a pad of blotting paper after completing her entry and each morning one of the first duties of her personal Page is to destroy the blotting paper, so nobody can ever be tempted to try and read a reverse impression of what she has written.”
Detailing the procedure, the insider added: “The diary is taken with her wherever she is staying, whether it be Windsor or Sandringham or Balmoral, and is kept in a black leather case – a smaller version of one of the red despatch boxes containing Government papers.
“But, there are only two keys – the spare one is kept strictly as an emergency back-up by her private secretary.
“Her diaries have never gone missing, probably because they are deemed almost as valuable to her as the Crown Jewels – if it was ever lost by say, some unfortunate footman, he’d probably end up in the Tower!”
King Charles also keeps a journal but since becoming King, “he doesn’t write great narrative diaries like he used to” a senior courtier also told the royal author.
Instead, he “scribbles down his recollections and reflections” at the end of every day”.
