A new book has revealed how the Queen dealt with the last months of her life, as she accepted the end was near with “good grace”.
The world reacted with shock and sorrow with the sudden death of the monarch in September, with the news dominating headlines for weeks afterwards.
Although it caught many by surprise, the Queen was aware her time was near, according to royal author and historian Gyles Brandreth.
His new book - Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait - also claimed Her Majesty was battling a rare form of bone marrow cancer in the months before her death.
The next revelation suggests the Queen knew her life was nearly over, the Mail Online reported.
Mr Brandreth, a friend of the Royal Family, wrote: “The truth is that Her Majesty always knew that her remaining time was limited.
“She accepted this with all the good grace you'd expect.”
It also revealed the Queen’s reaction to Prince Andrew telling her about his close friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
After the Duke of York - said to be Her Majesty’s favourite child - finished telling her the whole story she is said to have simply replied: “Intriguing”.
In the wake of the Queen's death it was reported her majesty bravely continued to fulfil her duties in her final day s despite battling mobility problems in recent months.
The 96-year-old monarch had been determined to appoint Liz Truss on Tuesday as her 15th Prime Minister.
The historic audience took place at Balmoral, instead of Buckingham Palace as tradition would normally dictate, after royal doctors advised her not to travel, for her comfort.
But despite displaying a broad smile she appeared frail, leaning on a walking stick with visible bruises on her hands and swollen ankles.
A gruelling schedule of appointments that day, including ploughing through her ministerial red boxes, led her to pull out of an important Privy Council meeting 24 hours later.
Despite her battles, the Queen thrilled crowds on the first day of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 2 when she appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony and later at Windsor Castle.
But the next day she pulled out of the Platinum Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral after experiencing "discomfort" during the previous day's celebrations.
The decision was considered regrettable, it is understood, but sensible due to the length of the journey and time involved and the physical demands it would have entailed.
