Do you think they knew the Queen was about to die last week?

[Goldfishmountainclimber]

Do you think that they knew that the Queen was about to die last week? It seems that they probably did on the actual day because there was some decline and Charles and Anne hurried to be with her. But they were both in Scotland at the time so reasonable handy.

But the rest of the family were not there and didn’t make it there until after her death. But maybe that was the plan so that she could die quietly and only Charles and Anne would be present, so that it didn’t draw attention and turn into a media circus.

I know it doesn’t matter, but I just wondered if it was a carefully crafted plan to give the Queen some peace at the end, or if it actually came as a bit of a surprise last week?

We were having this exact discussion at with the other day.

I think if they knew that her death was imminent all the family would have been there, rather than having to cancel engagements and fly up. That's what really alerted the media that she was really poorly.

Royal or not, you would want to see a lord one before they passed.

No, not at all because otherwise all the family would have been there.

Fell over - means tripped over something

Have a fall - means fell down, often without tripping just because legs go.

I don't think she was planning to leave Balmoral again, but don't think it was considered imminent or the family would have been there rather than just Anne (with Charles nearby but off doing engagements).

I assume they knew she was dying, but that in the event it happened more quickly than expected. Andrew and Edward would have been there if they could I'm sure.

It happens - we were told my dad had six months three weeks before he died.

I'm convinced she saw Boris out and was ready then, didn't want him to have the moment of glory! The monarch equivalent of waiting for the relative to get home from abroad.

Exactly this. She was well enough to meet Liz Truss on Tuesday. Charles was at a private event in Ayrshire on the Wednesday evening - if at that point they had known that she was very ill he would have been straight up to Balmoral.

It seems obvious that something happened overnight on the Wednesday into Thursday morning and the family were told early on Thursday morning. I don't think we need to know what that "something" was.

I guess I was thinking through the possibilities of the other scenario.

Imagine if all of her children and grandchildren had rushed up to Scotland. The media would have got wind of it and they would have all camped outside the Balmoral gates. But this could have gone on for several weeks while they waited for the Queen to die with news reports just waiting for her last breath. It wouldn’t have been dignified for her.

So that’s why I wondered if it was no accident that Charles and Anne were in Scotland, and the others were not, given that there are whole teams of people who orchestrate everything to do with the Queen.

I am pleased for her that she had a quiet death without the media outside.

Yes, although nobody could have predict the exact date of her death, her doctors would have known the inevitable would happen in the coming weeks or months. They supported her wishes to be at Balmoral for her final days. I'm glad she was pictured standing and smiling just 48 hours before as it suggests it was quite quick in the end. Hopefully warm in her bed, surrounded by loved ones.

I agree with Freckles - if you “have a fall” there is nothing external to cause it - often just trying to stand up from a chair, or get out of bed, or walk along something completely flat.

“Falling over” can happen to anyone if there is something to trip over or misjudge.

No, it was unexpected - or her other children would have already been there, and not have to scramble to get there too late.

I also don't think she was planning to leave Balmoral and I reckon the family were on standby but obviously without really knowing when it was likely to be. Realistically it would have been tricky to have them all there at her bedside for days on end.

Sounds like it probably happened very quickly in the end, although I think she would have moved heaven and earth to get the new PM in before she went and to avoid prolonging further the state of limbo for the country.

Do we know where Charles is going to mainly base himself? I'd heard he's not keen on BP (not sure any of them are!). Is there a chance that the Waleses' move to Windsor was more about the fact that William was going to become heir sooner rather than later, and either be closer to Charles at Windsor or perhaps even move in themselves?

No, they really wouldn't have known, otherwise she wouldn't have travelled to Scotland at all, let alone been receiving Prime Ministers with a photographer in attendance.

I keep seeing this and looked into it, her mother wasn't Scottish?

Do we know where Charles is going to mainly base himself? I'd heard he's not keen on BP (not sure any of them are!). Is there a chance that the Waleses' move to Windsor was more about the fact that William was going to become heir sooner rather than later, and either be closer to Charles at Windsor or perhaps even move in themselves?

I wondered whether he would keep Highgrove as he's fond of it, and essentially use Buckingham Palace as the office.

The media were there as soon as they got wind of it. You couldn’t have missed the 6+ hours of an outside broadcast from Balmoral, surely? Full of nothing but conjecture and waffle, waiting for her to die or for it to be announced that she had died earlier? Paparazzi-like shots of the drawn faces of arriving family members inside a car, being picked over and analysed for level of grief. At least Nicholas Witchell refused to comment when asked. Good for him.

I'm a carer and one lady I used to just have a cup of tea with her every week day evening 8-9pm. She was seemingly fit as a fiddle but one evening I went and she passed while I was there. She literally just closed her eyes and that was it! No sign at all. She was 95 so I just thought old age is reason enough. The body knows when the body knows.

He’s a traditionalist, so I’m sure will move to Buckingham Palace as his London residence. He’ll keep all the other places, no doubt. Highgrove is just one of his homes.

It's very clear from her physical condition in the photos earlier in the week - especially when compared to photos from last year - that they would have been very aware she was declining significantly. The back of her hands suggest she may have had a lot of medical intervention to manage being upright for that short period. I wouldn't be surprised if the exertion of that hastened things at the end.

Where was her mother raised if it wasn't Glams Castle in the Highlands?

I keep seeing this and looked into it, her mother wasn't Scottish

The Queen Mum's father was a Scottish Earl I think? Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne?

There is always a They in these posts.
I think it must mean our Lizard Overlords.

Clarence House? I always thought he would base himself here and as pp said use buck's house as an office.

No I don't think they did she was walking and meeting Liz Truss two days before she die.. Normally people who die from frailty are normally bed bound , incontinent, ridiculously underweight it's a slower decline. It sounds to me the Queen had a quick passing a stroke or heart attack a very good death.

Its normal to refer to most people in this way - the man over the road died in his care home and we asked each other "oh had they expected it" - meaning his family and the staff caring for him, exactly the same as people mean when they say "they" in reference to the royal family.