Royal family persuaded Queen Elizabeth to spend her last days at Balmoral

Queen Elizabeth II arrives to greet the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani to her Windsor residence on October 26, 2010 in Windsor, England. Photo / Getty Images

The late Queen was persuaded to spend her final days at Balmoral as she and the Royal family made preparations for her death, it has emerged.

Queen Elizabeth had initially feared “it would make things more difficult” if she died at her beloved Scottish home, the Princess Royal has disclosed.

Her family eventually convinced her to put her own comfort before her concern for others after a lifetime of duty.

Speaking of her mother’s last days in a BBC documentary about the coronation of King Charles III, the Princess described how the family had tried to persuade the Queen that practical issues “shouldn’t be part of the decision-making process”.

It is the first time the Royal family has spoken of arrangements for the late Queen’s death.

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral on September 8 last year, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

Princess Anne paid tribute to her late mother and spoke about the times they enjoyed together at Balmoral. Photo / Getty Images

She had extended her annual summer stay at the Aberdeenshire estate, with the Prime Minister asked to travel to Scotland to spare her the journey back to Buckingham Palace for what turned out to be the monarch’s final engagement.

Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren had visited Balmoral over the summer as concern for her health grew. The Duke of Sussex and his family did not make the trip, having fears over their security.

At the time, the palace described the Queen as having “episodic mobility problems”, with a series of cancelled engagements in early 2022 giving way to a peaceful summer without expectation that she would appear in public.

In September, she invited Liz Truss, her 15th prime minister, to form a government from Balmoral, breaking with a lifetime of holding the audience in London or Windsor. Then, it was said the Queen had been advised not to travel, with plans for Boris Johnson and Truss to make the 1070km round trip to Scotland instead.

Now, speaking in the BBC One programme Charles III: The Coronation Year, the Princess Royal has paid loving and characteristically practical tribute to her mother.

“We always enjoyed being at Balmoral,” she says in the programme, to be broadcast on Boxing Day.

“We spent a lot of time there in our youth and a lot of it was probably a more independent life than anywhere else. I think there was a moment when she felt it would be more difficult if she died at Balmoral. I think we did try to persuade her that that shouldn’t be part of the decision-making process. So I hope she felt that was right in the end, because we did.”

The Princess was the only member of the Royal family to be at Balmoral when it became clear the Queen was entering her final hours.

The royal family follows behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her State Funeral on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Photo / Getty Images

The then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall made an emergency journey from Dumfries House in Ayrshire, with other senior members of the family arriving after she had died.

Speaking of the moment at St George’s Chapel when the Crown Jeweller removed the crown, orb and sceptre from the late Queen’s coffin, the Princess said: “When he takes the crown off the coffin, I rather weirdly felt a sense of relief. Somehow that’s it, finished. That responsibility being moved on.”

Speaking of her brother, who became King instantly, she added: “To be honest, I’m not sure that anybody can really prepare themselves for that kind of change, at least not easily. And then the change happens and you go: ‘Okay, I now need to get on with it.’”

The documentary will share behind-the-scenes footage of the King’s preparation for his Coronation in May.

The Princess Royal is the only member of the Royal family to be interviewed on camera. The Prince of Wales and Duke of Edinburgh appear in footage, with no sign of the Duke of Sussex or Duke of York.

Charles III: The Coronation Year will be broadcast on Boxing Day at 6.50pm on BBC One and iPlayer.