September 8th marked the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing.
As expected, members of the Firm attended church prayers and laid flowers to commemorate the late queen who was the head of the monarchy longer than any other monarch in history.
For a huge number of Britons, Queen Elizabeth II was more than just a ruler who led their country for incredible 70 years. She was their strength and a motherly figure, thus her passing brought immense grief and sadness.
When the news of her ill-heatlh was shared in the media on the day of her passing, a huge number of people gathered together and filled the streets of the major cities around United Kingdom as a sign of support. The number of those that arrived at Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s summer residence where she passed away, was even bigger.
When members of the royalty started arriving one by one, everyone assumed the Queen was living her last moments. Sadly, that happened to be the truth which left millions of people from all around the world heartbroken.
Prior to her passing, media reported that the Queen was under medical supervision as her health was fragile.
BBC One suspended its regular program amid the concerns over Queen Elizabeth’s well-being.
Prime Minister Liz Tuss issued a statement saying that she received the news of the Queen’s passing around 4.30 p.m. local time.
“We’re all devastated by the news that we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world. Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” Truss said.
“Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her,” she added.
“We are now a modern, thriving, dynamic nation. Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and strength that we needed.”
A close friend of the late Queen opened up about her final days and revealed that monarch was in ‘a lot of pain’ and that her sight and hearing had deteriorated considerably in the weeks leading to her death.
“For the last years of her life, certainly from when her husband died [in April 2021], the Queen was in a lot of pain,” the source close to the late Queen’s told The Daily Beast.
“In the final months, of course, it got very much worse; by the time of the Platinum Jubilee, she couldn’t see very much, she couldn’t hear very much, and she was easily confused,” the friend of Queen Elizabeth added.
“She barely moved from her apartments in Windsor Castle. Appearing on the balcony at Windsor Castle for the Jubilee required a titanic effort.”
King Charles and Queen Elizabeth attended Crathie Kirk church for a private memorial prayer on Friday morning.
Charles thanked the nation for remembering his late mother. In a statement, the King wrote, “In marking the first anniversary of Her Late Majesty’s death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service, and all she meant to so many of us.
“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”
Prince Harry, who was very close to his grandmother, attended the WellChild Awards in London and paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth.
“As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away. As you probably also know, she would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her,” Harry said.
“And that’s precisely why I know exactly one year on that she’s looking down on us tonight, happy we are together – continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.”
Before heading to Germany for the Invictus Games, Harry visited his grandmother’s resting place at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on September 8.
William and Kate took part in a service remembering Queen Elizabeth at the historic St. David’s Cathedral.
As a tribute to the late Queen, Kate wore pearl and diamond earrings from the late Queen’s jewelry collection.
“Pearls are one of the very few jewelry items you can wear in mourning and are inextricably linked with Queen Elizabeth and her personal jewelry legacy,” Bethan Holt, author of The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style, previously told People. “It’s a symbol of mourning a monarch but also a grandmother or great-grandmother.”
As the couple were leaving the cathedral, they got the chance to chat to some of the people in front of it, including the local flying instructor Patricia Mquili Porter OBE. According to lip-reader Jacqui Press, Mquili spoke of her memories of the Queen, to what Kate replied: “We all have wonderful memories of her, we have to hold on to them, cherish them,” as per the Daily Mail.
While signing the visitor’s book, a member of the staff pointed to a beautiful message written in lovely handwriting, to what Kate added: “Yes, indeed. It’s wonderful to see what they were thinking about at that time.”
“Some great memories of The Queen,” William added. Kate then smiled and noted that she “had to be conscious” of signing her signature.
The Prince and Princess of Wales also spoke to the media and shared photos of late Queen Elizabeth. In one of them, she was meeting her beloved corgis, and in another she was surrounded by her great-grandchildren at Balmoral Castle.
“Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W&C.”
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