Who Was Next To The Queen As She Died?
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has inspired mourning the world over. The queen died aged 96 on September 8, with Buckingham Palace announcing in a brief statement, "The queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The king and the queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
The tragic passing means the queen's son — now known as King Charles III — will take her place as head of the monarchy, with one of his first acts of business issuing a touching statement about his mother's death. "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother," he wrote in the message, which was shared to the royal family's Twitter. "I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world," King Charles III continued, adding, "During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held."
But the world still has plenty of questions about the death of the beloved figurehead, including exactly what happened the moment Queen Elizabeth II passed away after 70 years of service.
Queen Elizabeth II had her son and daughter with her when she died
In news that will likely come as a comfort to many, Daily Mail claimed Queen Elizabeth II died with her son, Prince Charles, now referred to as King Charles III, and her daughter Anne, Princess Royal by her side. An insider claimed that the two were lucky enough to be there because they were already in Scotland when the queen's health began to seriously decline, as she was staying at her Balmoral estate. As for the rest of the royal family, it's thought they were sadly too late to say their final goodbyes.
Amongst those who arrived at Balmoral after Queen Elizabeth II's passing were her two other children, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, plus his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and the queen's grandson, Prince William, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge. As for Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, he arrived separately around an hour and a half after the world had been notified of his grandmother's death.
Noticeably absent from the convoy of royal arrivals were William, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge's wife, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, with Buckingham Palace confirming, per CNN, she stayed in London to take care of their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The Duke of Sussex's wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, was reportedly not invited to join the royals, per Entertainment Tonight.
The royals didn't stay in Scotland for long after the queen's death
It seemed the royal family didn't intend on staying in Scotland for too long following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The day after she died, September 9, Daily Mail shared photos of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arriving back in London at Windsor Castle, where it's thought his wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex was waiting for him. The Duke of Sussex's brother, Prince William — who had his titled changed from Duke of Cambridge to Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge following his grandmother's death — was also said to be making his way back to Windsor from Balmoral, according to Royal Editor Rebecca English. It's reported the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge actually drove his family members, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, to Balmoral the day prior.
As for their dad, King Charles III, Daily Mail shared photos and videos of the new king departing Balmoral the morning after the death of his mother as he prepared to make his first address to the nation as the head of the monarchy.
What happens when the royal family return to London?
Of course, the days following Queen Elizabeth II's death will be tough for the royal family, but they won't have too much time to mourn privately. Per ITV News, on September 10, King Charles III will be formally announced as the new head of state at an Accession Council, which has traditionally taken place at St. James's Palace in London. Daily Mail's Rebecca English confirmed that Prince William, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, is expected to attend the ceremony, as he is second in line to the throne, but it's not thought he will travel there with his dad.
Of course, the royal family will likely spend a lot of time together as they and the nation remember the late Queen Elizabeth II. As the U.K. goes into national mourning, there are some strict guidelines in place in the run-up to her funeral. It's not clear if any of her family members will accompany her body as it travels back to England, though BBC News reported Queen Elizabeth II's body will be laid in rest in Scotland before being transported back to her home country in order to allow the public to pay their respects. It will stay there for one day, before heading home to England, where the queen will lie in state for four days. Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm the day of her funeral, though it's expected to take place within two weeks of September 8.