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LONDON – Queen Elizabeth II was committed to her duty to the end and feared her death would cause unnecessary trouble at her holiday home in Scotland, her daughter says in an upcoming documentary.
The Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, reveals in the BBC broadcast that her mother was worried things would be “difficult” when she returned to Balmoral, the royal residence in the Scottish Highlands where the Queen is spending her summer holidays spent, would die. The castle is located about 500 miles north of London and was the focus of most events following the Queen's death.
Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle. She was 96 years old. Her official death certificate stated that she died “of old age.”
Anne, who was with her mother when she died, tells the filmmakers: “I think there was a moment when she felt that if she died at Balmoral it would be harder.” She says the family convinced the Queen that she “should not be part of the decision-making process”.
“I hope in the end she felt like it was the right thing to do. Because I think we did,” says Anne.
It was known that Elizabeth was particularly fond of Balmoral, which is privately owned by the monarch. Anne says that in the Queen's Scottish home “there was probably a more independent life than anywhere else.”
The Queen had extended her summer stay in Scotland and even met with Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, the 55th and 56th British Prime Ministers, at Balmoral shortly before her death.
The monarch plays an important role in the transfer of power in Britain, officially naming the new leader at a ceremony called “Kissing Hands,” which usually takes place at Buckingham Palace in London. In 2022, the outgoing and new prime ministers traveled to Scotland for the ceremony for the first time in Elizabeth's reign.
At the beginning of 2022, the queen withdrew from several events because of what the palace called “episodic mobility problems.”
Anne's comments were made in a documentary called “Charles III: The Coronation Year,” narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, who played the queen's sister, Princess Margaret, in several seasons of “The Crown.” The 90-minute documentary will air in the UK the day after Christmas and will show behind-the-scenes footage of the preparations for the coronation of King Charles III. and Queen Camilla. The Washington Post was shown a preview of the documentary on Friday.
Anne is considered her brother's trusted advisor and was the only royal to be interviewed for the show. In the show, she praises Camilla – “I've known her for a long time, off and on” – and says her “understanding of her role and how much of a difference she makes for the king was absolutely outstanding.”
“She wouldn't have been a natural for this role, but she does it really well. And it provides this change in speed and tone – it’s equally modern,” adds Anne.
Of her brother's ascension to the throne, she says: “To be honest, I'm not sure anyone can really prepare for a change like that… not easy.” And then the change comes and you think, 'Okay, now I have to keep going.'”
“The monarchy is a 365-day job; It doesn’t stop because you change the monarch for some reason,” she says.
She also talks about the moment her mother was buried in St George's Chapel in the grounds of the centuries-old Windsor Castle.
When the Imperial State Crown was removed from its casket, “I felt a strange sense of relief,” Anne says. “Somehow it’s time, done – the responsibility is passed on.”