Queen Elizabeth knew that she would not return to London from Balmoral, and chose to spend her final weeks on her Scottish estate, royal experts have said. Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair's royal correspondent, said she believes the Queen wanted to spend her final moments at Balmoral rather than at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.
The Queen died on Thursday at the age of 96 after spending the summer at Balmoral. Katie told the BBC: "The Queen knew she wasn't going to come back [to Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace ], I think she wanted to be in Balmoral and she wanted to pass there."
Huw Edwards, who was presenting the programme, agreed that despite the Queen's ill health she wanted to stay at the estate, reports The Mirror.
He said: "The Queen, with serious health issues, decided nonetheless that she did want to spend a good deal of time at Balmoral during the summer. That decision speaks volumes really about the fact that she was very comfortable to be in Balmoral, somewhere where she was happy to be with lots of good memories.
"But knowing too, with health issues and the challenges there, it might be a difficult stay and yet she insisted on making the journey."
Katie said the Queen had wanted to make the trip despite being advised to stay at Windsor. She said: "She insisted on making the journey and I think, she was the Queen of Scots and I think she wanted this to be part of her homecoming, her ultimate homecoming."
Katie added: "I think Balmoral was the one place where she could actually leave her crown at the gates and be a different role, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother. I actually think there's a bit of her that knew she wasn't going to come back, I think she wanted to be in Balmoral and she wanted to pass there.
"And the fact that she did peacefully is actually a blessing in all of this."
