Two years after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2023, at the age of 96, details about her final moments are still being revealed.
Recently, the last words she wrote in her diary, just 48 hours before her death, were shared. According to documents from the Royal Archives, these notes indicate that “she felt no pain” and that “she was not aware she was leaving.”
It was also discovered that she left a sealed letter in a red box, containing her list of candidates to receive the Order of Merit. In addition, she used her diary to record visits and anecdotes that troubled her.
Queen Elizabeth II’s diary
In her diary, Elizabeth II noted that she had received a visit from Edward Young, her secretary of state for many years.
“Edward came to see me,” she wrote, without providing further details about their meeting or what they discussed.
September 6, 2023, was the last time the queen appeared before the cameras when she met with minister Liz Truss.
During that occasion, a bruise was noted on the back of her hand, a consequence of medical treatment. That day marked the queen’s last public engagement after a lifetime of dedicated service.
With the news that the end was near, her family quickly mobilized. Charles III, Princess Anne, and Prince William were called to bid her farewell. Harry was also notified.
“She only had hours left,” they say. They all gathered at Balmoral, where Sir Edward Young told them the sad news.
The late monarch, who kept a meticulous diary during her 70-year reign, sat down to record the events of the day, as she was wont to do.
Her diary was not a space for introspection, but a record of things that happened in her busy life, perhaps to help her remember specific events and serve as an archive for future historians.