The Queen's surprise final act before her death: 'Isolated'
Friends of the Queen have revealed they believe she had always "planned to die in Scotland to save the union" with England.
According to The Daily Beast, Her Majesty was well aware she was "frail" and decided not to return to Windsor Castle for the "kissing of hands" ceremony with England's new Prime Minister Liz Truss, because she wanted to die in Scotland.
"She was frail and there was an argument that she should be back in Windsor where it is significantly easier to get hospital treatment," the insider shared. "Of course she had access to medics at Balmoral, but nothing like at Windsor. Balmoral is very isolated, but that is where she wanted to be, precisely because she thought the end might be near. She planned to die in Scotland to save the union."
The Queen was the first British monarch to die in Scotland for almost 500 years, with her passing leading to a series of ceremonial rituals in Scotland, and an outpouring of affection for Her Majesty.
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Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, who met with the Queen on many occasions during his time in office between 2007 to 2014, struck up a close friendship with the Queen, despite the fact he always wished for Scotland to leave the union with England.
And while Salmond believes Her Majesty did choose to die in Scotland, he told the publication it was unlikely to have been for political reasons.
"You cannot choose the time of your passing but you can choose the place. I believe that the Queen effectively chose to die at Balmoral not as some sort of political statement, but for the very human reason that this was the place where she was most comfortable and happy. In turn the great majority of the people of Scotland held Elizabeth, Queen of Scots, in the highest regard, as indeed did I," he said.
Royal author Christopher Andersen, who has predicted the Queen would die at Balmoral for years, also told the Daily Beast he believes it was due to her love for Balmoral and the memories she held there, as well as her love for Scotland.
"But do I think she’d be pleased that the union was strengthened by her dying there? Absolutely," he added.
Tourism is expected to increase in Scotland following the huge global coverage of the nation following the Queen's death.
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