A royal biographer has unearthed Queen Elizabeth II's diary – and the final entry was made just two days before she died at the age of 96 on 8 September 2022. It's a typical one from Her Majesty too, who was known for being stoic and pragmatic.
Writing in a new book all about King Charles III and his ascending of the throne after his mother's death, author Robert Hardman recalled the Queen's final days, during which she met with Liz Truss, who spent just 45 days as Prime Minister.
"It transpires that she [the Queen] was still writing it at Balmoral two days before her death," Hardman says in his book, Charles III. "Her last entry was as factual and practical as ever. It could have been describing another normal working day starting in the usual way – 'Edward [Sir Edward Young, the Queen's private secretary] came to see me' – [and] she noted the arrangements which her private secretary had made for the swearing-in of the new ministers of the Truss administration."
It's thought that the Queen kept numerous diaries and journals throughout her long life, but that preferred to keep the contents of them practical rather than emotional.
During a conversation with famed diarist Kenneth Rose, according to The Telegraph, it's said that the Queen remarked, "I have no time to record conversations, only events."
It seems Her Majesty was keeping it business as usual right up until her passing.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
