King reflects on late Queen’s final days in ‘uniquely special’ Scotland

‘Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself,’ the monarch said in an address to Scottish Parliament

King Charles III has reflected on his mother’s final days at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, saying it continues to be a “special place” for the royal family.

Speaking at an event to mark 25 years of theScottish Parliament on Saturday (28 September), the monarch suggested that the late Queen Elizabeth II “chose” to spend her last living moments there due to her well-known love for the royal family’s countryside residence.

Charles highlighted his mother’s adoration for Scotland, especially since the Balmoral estate was where she spent her summers as a child and later in life with her husband, Prince Philip.

Addressing the Scottish parliament 25 years on from its opening in 1999 – when the royal attended as Prince Charles – he spoke to the family’s connection to the country as a whole.

“Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself,” he said, adding his “beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish”.

"My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days," the King said.

King Charles III addressing the Holyrood Chamber during a visit to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to mark its 25th anniversary (PA)

Queen Elizabeth II died at her Scottish estate on 8 September 2022, aged 96. According to Charles, she “chose” to spend her last days there, despite her previous concerns about the logistical issues if she were to die while she was in the Highlands.

Speaking in the 2023 documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year, her daughter Princess Anne said that her mother was preoccupied with duty even in the last days of her life.

King Charles arrives at the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh for an event to mark its 25th anniversary (PA)

She was concerned it would add issues for those implementing “London Bridge” – the codename for the arrangements of her lying in state, vigils and a grand state funeral.

In the documentary, Anne recalled that the royal family tried to persuade the late Queen that she need not be part of the decision making process prior to her death.

The late Queen and her children at Balmoral, 1979 (AFP via Getty Images)

“I think there was a moment when she felt that it would be more difficult if she died at Balmoral,” said Anne in the documentary. “And I think we did try and persuade her that that shouldn’t be part of the decision making process.”

She concluded: “So I hope she felt that that was right in the end, because I think we did.”

Balmoral is private property, and not part of the Crown Estate. It has been one of The Firm’s residences since 1852, when the estate and its original castle were purchased by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert.