It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on September 8th, 2022.
The world paused and mourned the loss of the 96-year-old matriarch while also wondering what the royal family would look like with Charles III as King.
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Since his coronation, King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, have been working hard to keep the Queen’s legacy of philanthropic work alive and well.
They have been engaging with the public and advocating for their charities while remaining strong family leaders, especially while their daughter-in-law Kate Middleton has been battling cancer.
Now, fans are getting an unprecedented look at life inside Buckingham Palace in Robert Hardman’s book Charles III: New King, New Court, The Inside Story.
The royal biographer gives fans a deep dive into what life has looked like for the new king.
One of the more intimate moments revealed in the book is the King’s reaction to finding out his mother had passed.
According to Express, while the King was at Balmoral with Queen Elizabeth II in her final moments, he wasn’t at her side the moment she died.
According to Hardman, the then-Prince hopped aboard a helicopter at 9:30 in the morning on September 8th 2022, traveling from Ayrshire, where he had been conducting his royal duties.
He is then reported to have made four phone calls, one to each of his sons and one to each of his brothers.
Princess Anne was already at the Queen’s bedside at this time, as reported by Hardman.
In the book, Charles spent an hour with his mother before taking a walk to clear his head and process the difficult news.
Hardman wrote that the future King explored the grounds of Birkhall, collecting mushrooms in his mother’s final moments.
Princess Anne and the Queen’s personal assistant, Angela Kelly, stayed at her side and read her the bible.
At around three p.m. that day, Dr. Douglas Glass was called back to the Queen’s bedside and Anne contacted Charles to come back to Balmoral.
As Charles drove back, he was informed that his mother had passed away.
He received the call from the family’s private secretary, and according to Hardman, the King gave a short and professional response to being called Your Majesty for the first time.
“After being called ‘Your Majesty’ for the first time, Charles simply said, ‘We’re nearly there’ and then continued up to the castle,” as per Express.
It’s clear Charles had been preparing for this devastating news and has handled his role as King professionally since that moment.
For fans wanting to learn more, Hardman’s book Charles III: New King, New Court, The Inside Story is available for purchase now.
Last Updated on November 4, 2024 by Sarah Kester
