Late Queen’s heartbreaking final act for her people that ‘meant more to her than anything’

Queen Elizabeth’s heartbreaking final act meant a lot to her (
Image: PA)

The late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee saw celebrations take place all across the country, but despite being all smiles during public appearances, the former monarch didn’t feel particularly well throughout the weekend of celebrations and even had to back out of some of the events.

She didn’t appear at the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Epsom Derby, or the Platinum Jubilee concert, but after a last-minute appeal from King Charles – then Prince of Wales – she agreed to make one final appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony with the other senior royals, at the culmination of the pageant that marked the end of festivities.

Shortly before the late Queen Elizabeth passed away, she conducted one final act in front of the public, and there was a heartbreaking reason behind it, that showed just how much it meant to the former monarch.

The late Queen was reportedly unsure about whether she would be able to attend the balcony appearance, but King Charles was keen for her to make the journey and push through, so she would see the great affection that was waiting for her in the crowds below. Royal experts came together to discuss the historic moment – which saw Queen Elizabeth appear and wave to the public who had gathered to see her whilst donning a bright green ensemble – during a Channel 5 documentary, Secrets of the Royal Palaces.

One royal expert – writer Emily Andrews – explained just why the moment would have meant so much to the late Queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. “She felt it was her duty to come to London, to acknowledge the crowds,” the expert said. “But it wasn’t just about duty, it was about Charles wanting the queen to see how much she was loved,” she added, noting that the former monarch “always put duty above personal pain, above family, above personal sacrifice. Duty always comes first.”

The documentary also explored claims made by Robert Jobson in his book Our King, which revealed that behind the scenes the royal household had laid incredibly detailed plans to mitigate any mobility or health challenges the former Queen faced during the weekend – including the secret use of a wheelchair when she was out of the public’s sight.

Andrews explained, “‘The crowd didn’t know any of this…They didn’t know she was ill, they didn’t know she was suffering in pain and they didn’t understand why the Queen wasn’t there.” However, Charles’s persuasive phone call worked to bring his mother to London, to make the appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony – which would turn out to be her last.