The late Queen Elizabeth II remained stalwart in her dedication to Royal duties right up until her final days, performing her last act a mere 48 hours before her death.
It was on September 6, 2022, that the Queen engaged with Boris Johnson as he stepped down from his post and welcomed Liz Truss as the new prime minister at Balmoral Castle.
Initially meant to journey from Scotland to London for these pivotal discussions, the Queen’s decline in health meant the politicians had to come to Balmoral instead.
Royal commentator Robert Hardman shares that this was arranged by her private secretary Sir Edward Young alongside Palace physicians and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
Reflecting on that encounter, Johnson revealed: “Given how ill she obviously was, how amazing it was that she be so bright and focussed.”
Echoing this sentiment, Truss recounted: “She stood up to greet me. She was clearly physically not very well but we talked for about 20 minutes. She was alert.”
Hardman disclosed in his book “Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story” that after the meeting, the Queen watched her horse, Love Affairs, triumph at Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex on the same afternoon.
Despite a packed schedule for the 96-year-old monarch, she remained in high spirits and was described as “quite buzzy over pre-dinner drinks”.
The following morning, the Queen’s health deteriorated. She stayed in bed throughout the day but still intended to participate in the evening’s Privy Council meeting via video link.
But just before the meeting was set to start, the Queen had to bow out due to “medical advice”, as was reported at the time.
Penny Mordaunt, newly appointed as Lord President of the Council, spoke of the Queen’s dedication: “For me, that was testament to the depth of [her] devotion to her duty and us.
“The day before she passed, she was still trying to fulfil her obligations as sovereign, which I find incredible.”
The Queen passed away at 3:10pm on September 8, 2022.
