Last year, at the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, after a remarkable 70-year reign as the UK’s longest-serving monarch.
As per reports, she died peacefully surrounded by her family members.
Just two days before Her Majesty’s death, the last picture of her alive was taken – and the photo was leading to huge speculation.
But after doctors revealed the truth about the photo, everyone was seeing the same thing…
Queen Elizabeth’s reign saw 15 different prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to the newly-appointed Liz Truss. Her Majesty will be remembered as one of, if not the most, iconic figures in British history.
“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,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement in September 2022.
The Queen’s eldest son and heir, Charles – the former Prince of Wales – has now become King of the United Kingdom and the 14 Commonwealth realms.
Royal family gathered at Balmoral
All the Queen’s children and other senior royal members – including King Charles and Camilla – traveled to Balmoral after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision, where she died at 15:10 BST on 8 September 2022 at the age of 96.
A period of national mourning was announced and went on until the Queen’s funeral. World leaders also paid tribute to the Queen since her passing. President Joe Biden recalled how she stood with the US in solidarity during their “darkest days after 9/11.”
French President Emmanuel Macron described her as a “kind-hearted Queen” and a “friend of France.” Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said that the Queen was one of his “favorite people in the world” and that she was a constant in Canadian lives.
Many chose to lay down flowers and messages to the late Queen outside Buckingham Palace and Balmoral. Gun salutes were taking place in London and around the UK in tribute to Queen Elizabeth. One round was fired every 10 seconds 96 times to represented each year of the monarch’s life.
Queen Elizabeth’s health problems
Throughout 2022, reports about Queen Elizabeth’s declining health became increasingly frequent. Her doctors expressed concern for her well-being and advised that she continue to receive medical supervision.
In the final years of her life, the Queen was known to have experienced mobility issues, and she was often seen using a walking stick. When a planned privy council meeting was canceled, it raised further concerns about her health.
Given the Queen’s history of health issues, including hospitalizations and surgeries, many were uncertain about the accuracy of the reports and the true state of her health.
In October 2022, a trip to Northern Ireland was canceled after Her Majesty spent a night in hospital for “preliminary investigations.” A month later, she had to pull out of attending the Festival of Remembrance and, later on, the Remembrance Sunday Cenotaph service due to a sprained back.
The Queen also missed several events during the celebration of her Platinum Jubilee to mark 70 years on the throne.
Last summer, she traveled to Balmoral to begin her traditional summer break. A week later, Prince Charles represented her at the Commonwealth Games opening.
During the Queen’s traditional welcome to Balmoral Castle by a guard of honor, she normally inspected a military unit at the gates of her Scottish estate. However, in 2022, it was reportedly held privately inside the grounds.
Last pictures of Queen Elizabeth
The Queen was pictured for the last time on September 6th, 2022, when she welcomed outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the incoming Liz Truss to Balmoral. She was seen using a walking stick during the meetings and looked, as The Guardian described it, “bright but frail.”
The pictures led to huge speculations and a doctor who took a closer look at the pictures, claimed something didn’t look right with Her Majesty. However, it seems she put on a brave face to handle the duty, which became her last.
According to Dr. Deb Cohen-Jones, the last pictures taken of the Queen could give an insight into her health. Previously, people have pointed out that her hands appear to be purple, which Cohen-Jones also noticed.
“It looks like there is possibly evidence of peripheral vascular disease,” Dr. Cohen-Jones told Daily Mail. “It’s a blood circulation disorder that causes the blood vessels outside of your heart and brain to narrow, block, or spasm. It can sometimes result in heart failure. If your peripheral circulation is that poor, organs aren’t receiving a good blood supply.”
Dr. Cohen-Jones mentioned that her use of a walking stick could possibly be an indication of multi-organ failure.
Dr. Cohen-Jones further said that the Queen’s appearance – slight hunching – probably was a sign that something wasn’t quite right with her health.
”The slightly hunched appearance would have been her age and more than likely osteoporosis,” she explained.
However, after her passing, the official cause of death was attributed to “old age.” Dr. Douglas Glass, her official apothecary in Scotland, made this announcement
Her life was devoted to serving the people
The last ever picture taken of the Queen tells us a lot about her, in many ways.
Not only was she happy and positive, but also, it shows that she never let her duties down, no matter how she was feeling.
When she celebrated 70 years on the throne – Queen Elizabeth renewed the pledge she made on her 21st birthday.
“As we mark this anniversary, it gives me pleasure to renew to you the pledge I gave in 1947 that my life will always be devoted to your service,” Her Majesty said.
The fact that Queen Elizabeth never forgot the true purpose of her reign is something not only the people of Britain will remember.
In his first address to the nation, King Charles said that Queen Elizabeth’s devotion “never waivered.”
Queen Elizabeth was “full of fun” last weekend before passing
“In her life of service, we saw that abiding love of tradition, together with that fearless embrace of progress, which makes us great as Nations,” he said.
“The affection, admiration, and respect she inspired became the hallmark of her reign. And, as every member of my family can testify, she combined these qualities with warmth, humor, and an unerring ability always to see the best in people.
The Queen seemed to feel relatively well the days before her death, according to Rt Rev Dr. Iain Greenshields.
He stayed with the Queen after performing a sermon, telling the Daily Mail that he had dinner and lunch with Her Majesty, just days before her passing. He added that she was “full of fun.”
“It came as a great shock to me when I heard she was gravely ill because she was in amazingly good form over the weekend,” Greenshields said.
“She was the life and soul of things. She was speaking very personally to me about her time there way back when she was a child, she was talking about her horses from the past, naming them from 40 years ago, people’s names and places, she was quite remarkable.”
Jane Barlow was the photographer who took the very last pictures of Elizabeth. Just days before her death, the Queen welcomed Britain’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral.
In an interview, Jane Barlow claims that the Queen was “fragile” but in a good mood when she snapped the pictures. As we all have learned, Elizabeth II was professional and friendly until the end.
”I got a lot of smiles from her,” she told Sky News.
When the photo session was finished, Barlow left the room. Then she got another smile from the Queen.
”I was there to photograph her meeting the new Prime Minister but for me the best picture was the one of the Queen on her own. And it has obviously become more significant now.”
Queen Elizabeth was a symbol of stability and continuity in a rapidly changing world. Her commitment to her duties and traditions, as well as her dignified demeanor, earned her respect and admiration from many people in the UK and around the world.
We are sending all our love and prayers to the royal family, who are still mourning a beautiful woman. Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth.