Queen Elizabeth performed one last royal duty 48 hours before her death on 8 September 2022.
The late Queen went down in history for her seven decades on the throne and her dedicated service.
A year earlier, on the same day, she carried out her final royal duty by inviting the 15th Prime Minister, Liz Truss, to formally form a government.
Photo of Queen Elizabeth with Liz Truss
Photos of that meeting show a smiling monarch greeting Truss at Balmoral Castle, where they chatted for around 30 minutes before saying goodbye to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Queen Elizabeth, 96, wore a light shirt and grey cardigan paired with a tartan skirt for this latest royal outing. She did not let go of her black patent leather handbag or the walking stick that had accompanied her in her later years.
Just 48 hours later, the mother of Charles III died at her beloved home in the Scottish Highlands.
There was widespread admiration and surprise that, just two days before her death, the monarch had appeared on her feet to carry out her official duties.
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However, her determination to carry out the ceremonial act despite her failing health can be traced back to an emotional promise she made on her 21st birthday.
On 21 April 1947, the Queen made a radio address from Cape Town that was broadcast throughout the Commonwealth.
At that time she said: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”. He kept that promise to the last day of his life.