Late Queen made heartbreaking admission to Princess Anne about dying at Balmoral

The late Queen made a heartbreaking admission about dying in Scotland before Princess Anne gave her an important two-word piece of advice.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away "very peacefully" and "without pain" at Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022, aged 96. The late Queen's love for Balmoral in Royal Deeside was well known and she spent many summers there as a small child and in later life with Prince Philip.

Speaking to mark 25 years of the Scottish Parliament, King Charles suggested she "chose" to spend her last moments there, despite previous concerns that if her death occurred in the Highlands it may be logistically difficult for others.

The King said: "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."

Speaking in a BBC documentary last year, Princess Anne revealed her mother's concerns over dying at Balmoral and suggested that the monarch wanted to avoid causing issues to others at the end of her life. However, Kate Mansey, assistant editor for The Times, said that Princess Anne was quick to reassure the late Queen.

Speaking on The Royals with Roya and Kate podcast, she said: "Princess Anne said that the Queen had concerns about dying in Scotland, that it might be more trouble for everybody if she died in Scotland.

"But of course there are plans in place, there was Operation Unicorn and Operation Overstudy to bring the Queen's body back should she die in Scotland. Princess Anne at the time said 'just do what you want to do - it's fine."

Balmoral has been one of the royal family's residences since 1852, when the estate and its original castle were bought by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. The current Balmoral Castle was commissioned after the house at the time was deemed too small.

Speaking in the documentary last year, the Princess Royal said: "I think there was a moment when she felt that it would be more difficult if she died at Balmoral. And I think we did try and persuade her that that shouldn't be part of the decision-making process.

"So I hope she felt that that was right in the end, because I think we did."

Different plans concerning the Queen's death were in place for each of the main royal residences, with the late monarch concerned her death at Balmoral may cause added issues for those implementing the so-called London Bridge plans.

The Princess Royal tells the film that it was "serendipity" she was at Balmoral before her mother's death and she "weirdly felt a sense of relief" when the imperial state crown was removed from her coffin, the symbolic moment at which her role passed to Charles.