Queen plays as young princess in released unseen footage

Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on September 8, 2022, after reigning as the British monarch for over 70 years. On Friday, April 21, Her late Majesty would have celebrated her birthday, an occasion she typically marked in private. Last year, the monarch spent the day in a particularly poignant way; on the eve of her 96th birthday, she was spotted departing Windsor Castle in the backseat of a car on the way to Sandringham in Norfolk, around 100 miles away. And rather than settling at the grand Jacobean main house, it is understood she stayed at a smaller dwelling on the grounds called Wood Farm Home — the preferred residence of Prince Philip, her husband and consort who died a year earlier. In hindsight, a royal biographer has questioned whether the Queen knew it would be her final birthday celebration.

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Gyles Brandreth published his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, three months after Queen Elizabeth’s death. In it, he recounted the final months of the monarch’s life, noting her increased desire to “look back” at the past.

“Towards the end of her life, the Queen did not mind looking back,” he wrote. “She took time to look back in a personal way earlier this year (2022), sitting looking at reels of old ‘home movies’ that she and her parents had shot over the years.”

Last year, the Queen recorded commentary for the BBC documentary Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen, which was first shown in May 2022 and featured never-before-seen home movies of the Royal Family.

“She recorded the commentary to go with the home movies on May 19, 2022, just a month after her 96th birthday,” Mr Brandreth said, adding that he believed she was “aware it may be her last”.

As Her Majesty told her story in her own words, she reflected on her 96 years, saying: “One of the joys of living a long life is watching one’s children, then grandchildren.

“We can’t be certain what lies ahead for them, but we should know enough to put them on the right path. We can do this if we have the good sense to learn from the experience of those who have gone before us.”

The Queen learnt from her grandfather George V, who had an abiding “faith in the future,” as well as her parents, recalling her mother Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, and her “infectious zest for living,” and George VI, her father, being “the living symbol of our steadfastness”.

Though, at 96, she acknowledged “the years have slipped by so quickly,” adding: “There is no point in regretting the passage of time.”

She continued: “I have lived long enough to know that things never remain quite the same for very long. No one can make history stand still. Events change with startling speed.”

She added: “In my experience, the positive value of a happy family is one of the factors of human existence that has not changed … Faith, family and friendship have not only been a constant for me, but a source of personal comfort and reassurance.”

Just days after the documentary aired, nationwide festivities were held to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years since she ascended the throne.

In what has been described as her ‘last hurrah’, the monarch took part in a four-day weekend of celebrations, including balcony appearances at Buckingham Palace and lighting up the first with the Jubilee beacon.

The following month, she travelled to Scotland where she traditionally spent the last of the summer months.

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Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl believes the monarch wanted to spend her final days at the Aberdeenshire estate, as opposed to Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.

Shortly after the Queen’s death, Ms Nicholl told the BBC: “The Queen knew she wasn’t going to come back [to Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace], I think she wanted to be in Balmoral and she wanted to pass there.

“She insisted on making the journey and I think, she was the Queen of Scots and I think she wanted this to be part of her homecoming, her ultimate homecoming.”

“I think Balmoral was the one place where she could actually leave her crown at the gates and be a different role, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,” she added. “I actually think there’s a bit of her that knew she wasn’t going to come back, I think she wanted to be in Balmoral and she wanted to pass there. And the fact that she did peacefully is actually a blessing in all of this.”

Queen Elizabeth died peacefully at Balmoral Castle on September 8. Two of her children, King Charles III and Princess Anne, were by her side.

Reflecting on the day, Mr Brandreth wrote: “The truth is that Her Majesty always knew that her remaining time was limited. She accepted this with all the grace you’d expect.”

The Right Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields — who was staying with her at Balmoral — told the author: “Her faith was everything to her. She told me she had no regrets.”

Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait by Gyles Brandreth was published by Michael Joseph on December 8 at £25. It is available to purchase here.

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