Queen Elizabeth’s passing was a moment of profound loss felt around the world. While opinions on the monarchy may vary, the late Queen was widely respected and admired. Her remarkable reign spanned over 70 years, and now, she has finally reunited with her beloved husband, Prince Philip.
The Speculation Surrounding Her Passing
Following the Queen’s peaceful death at Balmoral, speculation quickly arose about what led to her passing. Some reports suggested she had been battling bone cancer, though Buckingham Palace never confirmed this. In a conversation with The Daily Beast, a close friend of the Queen shared insights into her final days.
On September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II passed away. Her State Funeral was held at Westminster Abbey, followed by a grand procession through London, with her coffin transported to Wellington Arch. From there, it made its way to Windsor, where another funeral service took place at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
During the service at St. George’s Chapel, the choir sang solemn hymns. Before the final hymn, her Imperial State Crown, Orb, and Sceptre were carefully removed from the coffin and placed on the altar. In a poignant tribute, King Charles placed the Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards atop her casket, while The Lord Chamberlain symbolically broke his Wand of Office, laying it down as a final gesture.
As the coffin was gently lowered into the Royal Vault, the congregation sang God Save The King. King Charles, visibly moved, struggled to hold back tears. Later that evening, a private burial took place, attended only by close family.
A Final Resting Place
Queen Elizabeth now rests in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle, alongside her parents, her sister Princess Margaret, and Prince Philip. After his passing, Philip had initially been interred in the Royal Vault beneath St. George’s Chapel but was later moved to lie beside the Queen.
Weeks after the funeral, details about the cost of the ceremonies were revealed. According to AP, the Queen’s funeral and lying-in-state cost the UK government an estimated $200 million. It was the first state funeral in the UK since Winston Churchill’s in 1965, drawing enormous crowds as thousands lined up to pay their respects at Westminster Hall.
The Cause of Death & Prince Harry’s Last Moments with the Queen
For some time, there was secrecy surrounding the Queen’s cause of death. The Daily Mail reported that Scotland’s government faced criticism for withholding her death certificate. Eventually, in late September 2022, it was officially confirmed that her cause of death was listed as “old age.” The registration, signed by Princess Anne, stated that Her Majesty passed away at 3:10 PM on September 8 at Balmoral Castle.
At the time of her passing, King Charles and Queen Camilla were by her side. Unfortunately, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry did not make it in time. Harry later shared in an interview with 60 Minutes that he was left out of the family’s travel arrangements to Balmoral.
“I asked my brother — I said, ‘What are your plans? How are you and Kate getting up there?’ And then, a couple of hours later, you know, all of the family members that live within the Windsor and Ascot area were jumping on a plane together,” Harry told Anderson Cooper.
By the time Harry landed in Scotland, he had learned of the Queen’s passing via BBC reports. Upon arriving at Balmoral, he was greeted by Princess Anne.
“I walked into the hall and [Princess Anne] was there to greet me,” Harry recalled. “And she asked me if I wanted to see her. I thought about it for about five seconds, thinking, ‘Is this a good idea?’ And I was, like, ‘You know what? You can do this. You need to say goodbye.’ So went upstairs, took my jacket off and walked in and just spent some time with her alone.”
In his memoir, he described his final moments with his grandmother, saying he whispered a heartfelt message:
“I hoped she was happy and that she was with grandpa,” he wrote.
Rumors of Bone Cancer & The Queen’s Final Challenges
While the official cause of death was listed as old age, royal biographer Gyles Brandreth previously suggested that the Queen had been suffering from myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer. This could explain her reported fatigue, weight loss, and mobility difficulties in her final year.
“The most common symptom of myeloma is bone pain, especially in the pelvis and lower back, and multiple myeloma is a disease that often affects the elderly,” Brandreth wrote in a Daily Mail serialization.
Towards the end, the Queen was rarely seen in public, reportedly due to increasing pain and difficulty moving. While she was never photographed in a wheelchair, sources claim she used one privately. Royal expert Robert Jobson revealed that for her Platinum Jubilee, extraordinary efforts were made to ensure she was not seen in a wheelchair.
“At the Palace, she was wheeled right up to the balcony doors, then helped to her feet so that she could stand – with the aid of a walking stick – alongside Charles and Camilla, plus William and his family,” Jobson wrote.
A close friend of the Queen told The Daily Beast that her final months were especially difficult.
“For the last years of her life, certainly from when her husband died, the Queen was in a lot of pain,” the source shared. “By the time of the Platinum Jubilee, she couldn’t see very much, she couldn’t hear very much, and she was easily confused.”
Despite these struggles, she carried out her duties until the very end, including appointing Liz Truss as Prime Minister just days before her passing.
Her resilience and dedication remain an inspiration to many. What are your fondest memories of Queen Elizabeth II? Share this article on Facebook in her honor.