The late Queen was still amazing before her death, a royal expert who met Her Majesty 40 times has revealed.
Queen Elizabeth died “peacefully” on September 8, 2022, aged 96 – spending her final days having fun at Balmoral with her family.
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And in the months leading up to her death, the Monarch was the same as ever, says an expert.
Historian and royal biographer Hugo Vickers says he met the Queen 40 times between 1968 and 2022 and still remembers the first time as if it were yesterday.
He also remembers the last one just as vividly.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive programme, Hugo said: “I met the Queen 40 times between 1968 and 2022.
“The last time I saw her, I was allowed to go and visit her at the opening of Windsor Castle in June of the year she died.
“That was really special, I spent 15 minutes with her – she was in full swing, talking.
“We talked a lot about fire restoration and things to do in Windsor and St. George’s Chapel and she was amazing.”
Hugo went on to relay the first time he met the Queen, when he was just a boy.
The expert told our royal editor Matt Wilkinson: “The first time, when I was at school, I used to show tourists around St George’s Chapel in Windsor on Sunday afternoons – it was open then.
“And one afternoon I was planted in a doorway where they were building the little tomb house where the king and the queen mother and where the queen and Prince Philip are buried.
“There was construction around a wooden door and the Queen just came around the corner and there she was. And then the Queen Mother – I got two of them in the same day.”
Hugo also told The Sun that what Meghan Markle did to the late Queen was “unforgivable”.
When asked what he considered to be the biggest crisis in the Royal Family in the last 50 years, the expert initially pointed to Diana’s death.
Hugo said: “Well, 50 years doesn’t mean abdication, so I suppose Diana’s death in 1997 was the big crisis point.
“But, at the risk of being controversial, will Meghan Markle’s arrival be greater in the long term? Who knows.”
I spent 15 minutes with her – she was in full swing, chatting.
Hugo Vickers
Returning to the topic, Matt agreed, adding that the time between the arrival of the Duchess of Sussex, everything changing and the departure of Meghan and Harry to start a new life in California was a “huge crisis in the Royal Family”.
Hugo said: “I find this all very interesting because I was in Windsor on the day they got married and their popularity and goodwill towards them was huge.
“I don’t think it was the press, they got away with it very, very quickly.
“What I find unforgivable is the stress she placed on the late Queen in the last years of her life.”
It comes after a historical memorandum claims the Queen’s final moments were “painless”.
The most senior member of the Queen’s staff, Sir Edward Young, described the moment of her death in an extraordinary book.
The devoted private secretary: “Very peaceful. In her sleep. Escaped. Old age. She wouldn’t have noticed anything. No pain.”
Inside Queen’s last ‘fun’ days
By Sarah Grealish
The Queen spent her final days at Balmoral having fun with her family, reading the Racing Post and watching TV with the team.
Her Majesty passed away in September 2022 at the Royal Retreat, where she spent many happy summers with her beloved Philip.
She spent her last hours with her family, in the place where she felt most comfortable.
And now it has been revealed how she spent her “fun” final days.
The Queen would spend three months every summer at the Scottish castle and “take off her shoes” and relax.
This 50,000-acre estate beside the River Dee in the Scottish Highlands is where she could be a mother and a wife – a world away from life as the most famous woman on the planet.
She arrived at Balmoral for the last time on July 23, her second summer without Prince Philip.
She flew in a private helicopter and was expected to stay until October to take a break from royal duties.
Her Majesty first stayed at the seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge in Royal Deeside, before moving to live at Balmoral Castle on 9 August.
Here she stayed with her beloved team, including Page of the Backstairs Paul Whybrew – who is 6ft 1in and nicknamed Tall Paul – and her sergeant-at-arms Barry Mitford.
The pair brought the long-time horse fan to the Racing Post every morning before sitting down to watch TV.
And her right hand and best friend, Angela Kelly, who worked as the Queen’s personal assistant and costume designer, was with her until the end.
Until her death, the Queen received visitors who kept her company.
On the last weekend before her death, Dr Iain Greenshields, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, stayed with her at the castle.
He said she was in “very good spirits” and told how he was moved by the way she spoke about her beloved Prince Philip.
They had dinner together on Saturday and lunch on Sunday – and even strangely touched on the subject of life after death.
And he said the Queen seemed delighted to be spending time at her beloved mountain home.
He said: “In conversation with her, she took me to the window and looked at her gardens with great pride and affection.
“And I think that’s where she would like to spend her final days and I think the family takes comfort in that.”
She then went on to “reflect on life” as they discussed her faith and the afterlife.
Two days later, on September 6, the Queen received an audience with the new Prime Minister Liz Truss.
The photos showed the pair at the castle for the traditional “kissing hands” ceremony.
Truss was the Queen’s 15th Prime Minister during her more than 70 years as Monarch.
The photos showed her smiling in the green room as she chatted with Truss for 30 minutes.
Two days later, on September 8, the Queen died “peacefully” at Balmoral.
The King and Princess Anne managed to reach her bedside before she died.
The senior royal faced a tough race against time to say goodbye after doctors shared the tragic news that Her Majesty had just hours to live.
Unfortunately, only two of the Queen’s four children made it to her bed at Balmoral in time.
Princess Anne and King Charles were already in Scotland on royal business when the heartbreaking news was announced.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
