Queen Elizabeth’s last moments detailed for the first time in new book

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, passed away more than a year ago in September, 2022, and now, for the first time, her final moments have been laid out in detail in a new royal book touted as a ‘definitive’ look into  the monarchy after her passing.

In his latest book, The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, which is slated to hit bookshelves on January 18, royal biographer Royal Hardman offers a deep dive into the late monarch’s last moments on September 8, 2022, through memos collected from her private secretary, Sir Edward Young.

The Daily Mail shared exclusive excerpts from Hardman’s book, including Sir Edward’s memos, now part of the Royal Archives, in which he described the late Queen’s death as ‘very peaceful’.

“Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn't have been aware of anything. No pain,” he noted, as per the outlet.

Late Queen Elizabeth’s devotion to duty

Hardman’s book also details the immediate aftermath of the Queen’s death in Balmoral, sharing how just as Sir Edward made his notes, a red box of paperwork from the Queen’s deathbed was opened; it contained two letters, one addressed to her heir, the newly crowned King Charles, and one to Sir Edward, and her last royal order.

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This last piece of royal paperwork from the Queen was a list of her choice of candidates for the Order of Merit, awarded by the Crown for ‘exceptionally meritorious service' across the Commonwealth.

Commenting on this, Hardman wrote in his book, “Even on her deathbed, there had been work to do. And she had done it.”

How King Charles found out about Queen’s death

According to the excerpts, the decline in the late Queen’s health and her death was ‘abrupt’, so much so that her son, then-Prince Charles, a King-in-waiting, was unaware of the urgency and had to be flown in on a helicopter, with his staff not even getting a chance to ‘get his car ready to greet him’, as per Daily Mail.

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Hardman, in his book, also reveals that King Charles received the news of his mother’s death while gathering mushrooms to ‘clear his mind’ after meeting his ailing mother on her deathbed. He reportedly pulled over after taking a call from Balmoral, in which moment he was addressed as ‘Your Majesty’ for the first time, revealing the news that the Queen had passed away.