How Royal family descended on Balmoral to say final goodbyes to the Queen, with Harry landing AFTER announcement
LONDON, ENGLAND: Following reports from Royal doctors that they were worried about Queen Elizabeth II's health, the Queen's children and grandchildren Prince William and Harry all flew to Balmoral to say their final goodbyes. Prince William was seen driving his uncles Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and aunt Sophie, Countess of Wessex, to Balmoral in an effort to get to the Queen's bedside in time for a vigil on Thursday, September 8, that was organized by Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
Buckingham Palace later released a statement that read, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow." The Queen is survived by her four children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. The 96-year-old queen died on Thursday, September 8.
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The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W
It was initially reported that Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, would be accompanying her husband Prince Harry to be by the Queen's side. However, Meghan decided to stay in London but cancelled her appearance at the WellChild awards, which the Sussexes were scheduled to attend this evening.
The Duke of Sussex's jet was still in the air at the time of the announcement, not touching down until nearly 15 minutes later. He was then seen in the back of a car leaving the site just after 7pm. He then finally arrived at the Scottish estate at 7.52pm, where he joined other members of the Royal Family in mourning the Queen's death.
At 4pm, a jet carrying the Duke of York, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and his wife Sophie touched down in Aberdeen, Scotland. Prince William led the passengers off the plane. At 5pm, their convoy arrived at Balmoral. However, Kate stayed home to watch over their kids as they attended their new school for the first time.
The Queen's last official public act was officially appointing Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister on Tuesday, September 6 at Balmoral. Due to mobility issues, the 96-year-old monarch performed the duty for the first time away from Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II was born to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in London on April 21, 1926, and became monarch in 1952 following the unexpected demise of her father. She had the exceptional distinction of ruling for more than 70 years.
A flood of tributes to the adored Queen started to arrive from all over the world soon after news of her death broke. UK's new prime minister Liz Truss paid tribute to the monarch and wrote, "The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime. My thoughts - and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom - are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time."
The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) September 8, 2022
My thoughts - and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom - are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.
Plans will now be made for the Queen's state funeral, code-named London Bridge, which is scheduled to take place in Westminster Abbey in 10 days. Her casket will be on display in Westminster Hall five days prior to the funeral so that both the public and her family can pay their respects.