It took a lot to push the queen over the edge. And despite her anger over the hijacking of her childhood nickname, she remained courageous and dutiful to the end

How typical of the late queen's lifelong devotion to duty, that she continued to work until the end.

As Robert Hardman movingly describes in his new book Charles III, Elizabeth II was confined to bed at Balmoral, yet planned to attend a meeting of the Privy Council via video link and sign documents in her government's red boxes.

Even in her final days, the queen had never let the public know how badly her health was failing or what physical problems she was in.

It is all the more disturbing to hear about the pressure she faced privately thanks to the actions of her grandson Harry and wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

We're already shocked by Megxit and by claims made in the Sussexes' interview with Oprah (which prompted a 'memories may vary' response from the palace), but we now learn that the Queen found herself in even more turmoil about the naming of their second child.

When they chose to name their daughter Lilibet, the Queen's childhood nickname that is still used by close friends and family, the Sussexes claimed she had willingly given her consent.

Robert Hardman's report shows that memories can again vary.

When Harry instructed his lawyers to write to the media saying claims that the monarch had not been asked for permission were false, the queen was “as angry” as anyone had ever seen her, Hardman writes.

Rebecca English, editor of the Daily Mail, suggests that Elizabeth went so far as to say: 'I don't own the palaces, I don't own the paintings, all I own is my name. And now they've taken that with them.'

It took a lot to push the queen over the edge. During her long reign, she had suffered deaths, suicide threats, infidelity and divorce.

She had served on the council with fourteen prime ministers and, over the space of seventy years, had met almost all the great leaders of the day, some good, some bad, some insane, and handled them all with grace and finesse.

During that time, she had shown herself to be a strong-willed woman, determined to carry out her duties in her own way and according to her own beliefs. She carried them out until the very last moment.

In person she was small and reserved, polite and at first glance unimposing, but she radiated what might best be called majesty. When her staff went to see her, they talked about going to “The Presence.”

It was an apt description: even diehard Republicans found themselves tongue-tied with respect.

The Sussexes caused the Queen even more unrest over the naming of their second child, Lilibet

Then there was Andreas.

Neither the patience nor the steely-eyed displeasure that his mother radiated with such devastating effect made much of an impression.

As her health visibly deteriorated, he lobbied whenever he wanted, and as he quickly destroyed what was left of his public role in disgrace, that lobbying became incessant.

The queen's fondness for her errant son was so great that she often gave in to his demands.

But we now know that this masked a tragic unraveling of her family at the time when she needed them together most.

Elizabeth no longer had the reassuring presence of Prince Philip to support her. Even her childhood nickname had been hijacked.

But as disturbing as it is to know the truth about her turmoil, her faith and humor kept her going.

Elizabeth II remained a brave and dutiful queen to the end – and for that we should be grateful.

Ingrid Seward is editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine. Her latest book 'My mother and I' will be published by Simon & Schuster on February 15.

Robert Hardman's Charles III is published by Macmillan on January 18