Farewell to Queen Elizabeth II: the last words, the last image, the last days

The memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II

On September 19, the memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain in Westminster Abbey came to an end. After the service, the coffin with the Queen’s body was transported to the Memorial Chapel of King George VI on the territory of Windsor Castle. Today we recall the last days of Elizabeth II, her last words, the last official photo, the last outfit.

The Last Days of Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II outlived her husband, Prince Philip by a year and a half. After the death of her husband, the Queen began to experience health problems, but the general public constantly received assurances from Elizabeth that she was fine. There were only some “problems with movement”.

According to people from the Queen’s inner circle, Elizabeth remained in her right mind and firm memory until her last days. She continued to fulfill her duties. In particular, two days before her death, she officially appointed a new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss. But the Queen still often refused to participate in some events, delegating authority to Prince Charles.

Shortly before her death, according to official data, Elizabeth was placed under medical supervision. On Thursday, September 8, the press released an official statement from the palace: “After further examination this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned about Her Majesty’s health and recommended that she remain under medical supervision.” And in the evening the whole world learned about the death of the Queen. It is known that the eldest children of Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, managed to say goodbye to their mother. The rest of the Queen’s relatives arrived in Balmoral too late.

The Last Official Meeting

Just two days before her death, on September 6, Elizabeth II held an official meeting at Balmoral Castle. She accepted Boris Johnson’s resignation and appointed a new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss. This became a historical precedent – the meeting of the Queen and the new prime minister was the first and last time when Elizabeth appointed a new head of government while in Scotland.

After a busy day, the Queen felt unwell. Doctors recommended her to rest. On Wednesday, Elizabeth II, at the insistence of doctors, was forced to postpone the meeting of the Privy Council, at which Liz Truss was to be sworn in as first Lord of the Treasury.

The Last Image of Elizabeth II

Accepting Johnson’s resignation and appointing Truss, Elizabeth appeared in a Balmoral tartan, a light blouse and a gray cardigan. The Queen complemented this classic look with a pearl necklace. In the hands of Elizabeth was one of her classic handbags.

It is known that the Queen of Great Britain had a weakness for bright monochrome images, but while in Scotland she preferred to wear a tartan. The Queen’s fans noticed that Elizabeth looked smiling and collected. But they also noticed that the monarch looked weak, leaned on a cane and had lost a lot of weight lately.

The Last Will of Queen Elizabeth II

On September 12, Princess Anne followed the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in a man’s uniform in a procession that took place in Edinburgh from Palace of Holyrood to St. Giles’ Cathedral. In the cathedral, all four of the Queen’s children, including Anne, stood guard of honor near their mother’s coffin. The next day, the princess in the uniform of an admiral of the Royal Navy accompanied the coffin of Elizabeth II by plane to Buckingham Palace.

The presence of the princess in the funeral escort and honor guard was not accidental. It was the last will of Elizabeth II. The Queen wanted her only daughter to walk next to her coffin, stand guard of honor and accompany her mother’s body during the flight home. Anne put on the uniform for a reason. The fact is that the princess has military ranks. By her 70th birthday she was promoted to army General and Air Chief Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

The Last Journey of Queen Elizabeth II

On September 11, the funeral procession moved from Balmoral Castle in Edinburgh to the official residence of the monarch, Holyrood Palace, passing through several Scottish settlements. On September 12, thousands of people joined the procession accompanying the Queen’s coffin from Holyrood Palace to St. Giles’ Cathedral. It was the so-called “Royal Mile”. Later, in the Cathedral of St. Giles’, all the children of Elizabeth II defended the guard of honor near their mother’s coffin.

The next day, Elizabeth II’s coffin was sent to Buckingham Palace. The funeral procession was attended by Charles III, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Queen Consort Camilla. Princes William and Harry, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were also there.

Four-day Farewell to the Queen

From September 14 to 19, people could personally say goodbye to the monarch. It is not yet known how many people were able to say goodbye to the Queen, but according to some estimates, this number may reach half a million. All these days, an additional 250 trains were sent to London from other parts of the UK. The queue to the coffin with the Queen’s body stretched to the maximum permissible length, the waiting time in it ranged from 8 to 24 hours. Nevertheless, people continued to stand in it, despite the cold and the air temperature of 10-11 degrees. Watch how the British said goodbye to their Queen on the Cultural Channel.

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