In the final moments before her passing, the longest-reigning British monarch left two letters, as revealed in an excerpt from royal biographer Robert Hardman’s book, "The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy," reported by The Daily Mail.
According to Hardman, a red box was brought up to senior staff, including the monarch’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young. Describing this poignant scene, the author noted, “It was the last one that had gone up to the Queen before her death. Like all red boxes, it had just two keys, one for the monarch and the other for her duty private secretary.”
Inside the box, Young discovered a sealed letter addressed to then-Prince Charles and a private letter intended for himself. The contents of these letters remain undisclosed, leaving room for speculation about whether they contained final instructions or heartfelt farewells.
Reflecting on this solemn moment, Hardman wrote, “We will probably never know what they said. However, it is clear enough that the Queen had known that the end was imminent and had planned accordingly. Were they final instructions or final farewells? Or both? Elizabeth II had been completing her own last pieces of unfinished business.”
