Queen Elizabeth II was "perky" but eating sparingly and struggling with stairs in her final days, it is reported today.
The longest-serving British monarch, who died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle last Thursday, remained on "good form" in her last days, and hosted an informal dinner with cousins in the castle dining room on Sunday September 4.
"Although frail, she remained alert and chatty almost until the end," said royal expert and journalist Richard Kay.
"She was on 'good form'... 'perky even'. It was clear she drew strength from having loved ones around her.
"Her physical decline had not made her last weeks easy: standing and walking, especially up and down stairs, were difficult and she was eating sparingly. But the joy of being at her favourite home more than made up for it."
The sovereign, who had the second-longest verified reign of any monarch in history, died just four days later at the large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Mr Kay said the monarch struggled to participate in her regular walks and the picnics, and she found it harder to do her regular newspaper crossword puzzle in her final days.
But she still enjoyed watching TV, especially the weather forecast presented by BBC's Tomasz Schafernaker.
The Moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, dined with the Queen on the same Sunday at a separate function.
He spoke of her "good spirits" and "engaging" company.
The reverend said: "She was talking about her past, her love for Balmoral, her father, her mother, Prince Philip, horses, very much engaged with what was happening in the church and what was happening in the nation, too.
"Her health was frail, we knew that, but when I left her on Sunday she was very positive, and I'm just finding it very hard to believe that in those few days things had changed so much."
The monarch, who was sustained for so long by her Christian faith, will be laid to rest at a private committal service after her state funeral on Monday.
