Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, surrounded by her closest family members. Her death, at the age of 96, marked the end of an era and sent shockwaves across the world, as leaders and admirers paid tribute to the monarch who devoted her entire adult life to the throne.

On the morning of her passing, Buckingham Palace released a rare statement expressing that doctors were “concerned” about her health. Members of the royal family rushed to be by her side. Hours later, the palace confirmed her death with the words: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”

It is understood that King Charles and Princess Anne were with her during her final moments. Charles and Camilla reportedly spent an hour at her bedside before her passing.

Final hours revealed

Eighteen months after her funeral, the Queen’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young, shared further details in a private memo. He revealed that two sealed letters had been found in a red box of papers beside her bed — one addressed to him, and another to her eldest son, Charles.

Prince Harry, who was flying at the time, later admitted in his memoir Spare that he only learned of his grandmother’s death after switching his phone back on and seeing a BBC News alert.