With this, just hours before what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday, her son and current monarch, King Charles, touched hearts with his speech highlighting the life and legacy of his ‘dear uncle’.
But he has always admired her when reminiscing about old memories, whether it be his memories of her final years, or her love of Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside, a place where she herself spent many summers, even when she was a little girl.
according to BBC He has even said, “From a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a special place in my and my family’s hearts.”
“My late mother particularly treasured the time she spent at Balmoral, and it was this place, among the dearest of places, where she chose to spend her final days.”
For those who don’t know, the Queen passed away at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022, in the same estate she loved so much.
As for what he was actually doing when he heard the news of his demise, it is revealed in Robert Hardman’s book The Making of a King: King Charles II and the Modern Monarchy.
According to their findings, King Charles was driving through Scotland after meeting the Queen at Balmoral when he received the tragic news.
Of that precise moment Mr. Hardman writes, “King Charles III succeeded to the throne. To be more precise, he had turned off the B976 onto the drive past Balmoral Estate and was passing through a part of the world that was dear and familiar to him, when he discovered that he was now Sovereign of the United Kingdom and fourteen other territories covering a large part of the earth’s surface.”
They also said, “On the afternoon of 8 September 2022, (Charles) was driving his car down an unknown Scottish country road when he was addressed as ‘Your Majesty’ for the first time. He had visited the Queen at Balmoral Castle earlier in the day and then spent a few hours at her nearby home, Birkhall, before returning to the castle.”
In a separate documentary about her mother, Princess Anne, fondly described as ‘the most hard-working royal’, also recalled how the Queen was always thinking of others, even when her final hours were near as she did not want to make things “more difficult” by leaving anywhere other than Balmoral. But “we tried and explained to her that this should not be part of the decision-making process,” the Princess Royal said, recalling their conversation last year. “I hope in the end he felt it was right, because I think we did.”
Worth mentioning is that a statue of the late monarch is also in the final stages of being presented to the world, and it is to be erected at Buckingham Palace in London.
The project has a provisional budget of £23 to £46 million. According to Hello! It is being designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Michel Desvigne Pesagist and will feature him sculpted in bronze. It will overlook the Mall at Malborough Gate in St James’s Park, and even Prince Philip will be part of the design, but his will likely reflect his support during his reign and will be nearby.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had also shared his excitement about it a week earlier, saying, “As our longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life to public service. The nation will celebrate her extraordinary reign with a memorial that will provide a place of reflection for generations to come.”
The king also recently paid tribute to his late mother and it was broadcast on the royal family’s private YouTube and Instagram accounts.
In it he says, “Today, as we celebrate my beloved mother’s 100th birthday, my family and I pause to reflect on the life and loss of a sovereign who meant so much to us all. Queen Elizabeth’s promise with destiny shaped the world around her and touched the lives of countless people in our country, the Commonwealth, and beyond.”
