King Charles III has reflected on his mother’s final days in Scotland, saying it is a “uniquely special place” for the royal family.
The late Queen’s love for Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside, was well known, and where she spent many summers – as a small child and in later life with Prince Philip.
The King suggested she “chose” to spend her last moments there in 2022, despite her previous concerns that if her death occurred in the Highlands it may be logistically difficult for others.
The comments were made in a speech by King Charles – dressed fittingly in a kilt – to mark 25 years of the Scottish Parliament.
He attended its opening in 1999 – when he was Prince Charles – and has visited several times since.
“Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself,” the King said, adding his “beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish.”
Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022, aged 96, at her Scottish estate.
“My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days,” the King said.
The late Queen also spent much of Prince Philip’s last years with him on the estate, where they stayed together during the Covid-19 lockdown. In November 2020, the couple celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary there.
Princess Anne said her mother had spoken of her concerns over dying at Balmoral, feeling that it would be “more difficult” than if she died elsewhere, suggesting the monarch wanted to avoid causing issues to others at the end of her life.
“We did try and persuade her that that shouldn’t be part of the decision-making process,” the Princess Royal recalled in a BBC documentary last year.
“I hope she felt that that was right in the end, because I think we did.”
Balmoral has been one of the royal family’s residences since 1852, when the estate and its original castle were bought by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. The current Balmoral Castle was commissioned after the house at the time was deemed too small.
It was private property belonging to the Queen and is not part of the Crown Estate.
