The day the Queen died: How King Charles was addressed as ‘Your Majesty’ for the first time over the phone two years ago today, as he drove back to Balmoral to be at his mother’s bedside

It was two years ago today that Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at the age of 96, after a 70-year reign that many hoped would somehow go on forever.

King Charles, as he became near the Royal Family’s Balmoral estate in Scotland on September 8, 2022, had been the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. 

The day when he both lost his mother and finally fulfilled his destiny was revealed in intimate detail by the Mail’s Robert Hardman in his recent book, Charles III New King. New Court. The Inside Story.

The biographer told how Charles was addressed as ‘Your Majesty’ for the first time over the phone, when he had been driving back to Balmoral to be with his mother, who he knew was seriously unwell.

His Majesty had stopped his car and took a call from his late mother’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young, who informed him of her passing. 

The Queen died in bed at her Scottish retreat just two days after accepting the resignation in person of former prime minister Boris Johnson and meeting with his successor, Liz Truss. 

Mr Hardman wrote: ‘King Charles succeeded to the throne at the wheel. 

‘To be more precise, he had just turned off the B976 onto the back drive of the Balmoral estate and was driving through a part of the world as dear and familiar to him as any, when he learned that he was now sovereign of the United Kingdom and fourteen other realms, covering a large part of the Earth’s surface.

‘Schoolchildren are taught that the longest reign in British history began at a Kenyan watering hole; that Princess Elizabeth was watching wildlife from the branches of a giant fig tree when King George VI died in his sleep on 6 February 1952l that his dutiful daughter, having climbed up as a Princess, climbed down as Queen.

‘History will record that, seven decades later, on the afternoon of 8 September 2022, her son and heir was on an unmarked Scottish country road, at the wheel of his car, when he was first addressed as ‘Your Majesty’.

‘He had been to visit the Queen at Balmoral Castle earlier in the day and had then spent a few hours at his nearby home, Birkhall, before returning to the castle.

‘In the manner of his late mother, he had climbed into the car as both Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay (his title when in Scotland).’ 

‘Twenty minutes later, he would climb out of it as King Charles II – with the new Queen at his side.’

Her Majesty had kept her promise to serve the country until the very end, despite her declining health. 

The Queen had intended to travel from Balmoral to London to meet with Mr Johnson and appoint Ms Truss. 

However, Mr Johnson and Ms Truss instead came to her because of her frailty. 

She was pictured in the Drawing Room at Balmoral beaming in front of a roaring fire and shaking Ms Truss’s hand on September 6.  

Observers were quick to spot that the Queen’s right hand appeared bruised and she was holding a walking stick. 

For some time, the Palace had been referring to the her ‘mobility issues’ but did not disclose any details of her health problems. 

The logistics of the meetings with Mr Johnson and Ms Truss had been planned by her private secretary Sir Edward Young, Palace doctors and the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case.

They timed it so that the Queen would meet with both in the same hour at lunchtime.

Mr Johnson said of the meeting: ‘Given how ill she obviously was, how amazing it was that she be so bright and focused.’

While Ms Truss said: ‘She stood up to greet me. She was clearly physically not very well but we talked for about 20 minutes. She was alert.’

After meeting with the two politicians, she made sure to watch her horse, Love Affairs, win at Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex at 3.05pm later that afternoon. 

Despite it being a busy day for the 96-year-old monarch, she was in good spirits and was described as being ‘quite buzzy over pre-dinner drinks’.

However, Elizabeth decided to have dinner alone and went upstairs. 

On the morning of September 7, her health took a turn for the worse. 

She wanted to stay in bed during the day but still wished to appear at that evening’s Privy Council meeting over video. 

Provisions were put in place so she could be audio-only if she stayed in her bedroom. 

However, moments before the meeting was due to begin, the Queen cancelled on the grounds of ‘medical advice’, as was reported at the time. 

Penny Mordaunt, who had been appointed as Lord President of the Council, recalled: ‘For me, that was testament to the depth of [the Queen’s] devotion to her duty and us: the day before she passed, she was still trying to fulfil her ­obligations as sovereign, which I find incredible.’

Her private secretary would later find the Queen’s final completed red box which had been given to her two days before her passing.

It contained a letter to Charles, another to him and a shortlist of people to join the Order or Merit. 

The Queen had successfully carried out what would be her last acts of duty for the country she had served for 70 years.

On the day she died, her daughter Princess Anne was in fortunately in residence because she had a diary of engagements in Scotland, so she was with her mother as her health deteriorated.  

Also staying at Balmoral was Anne’s son Peter Phillips, who had been set to go to a shooting party that was then cancelled.   

The Princess Royal called Charles, who was also attending official engagements but was more than 150 miles away in Ayrshire.

He had to decide whether to cancel his appointments for the next day and go to Balmoral in the morning, or continue.

One official told Mr Hardman how both Anne and Charles’s private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, were saying to Charles: ‘Think how you would feel if you never said goodbye.’ 

Princess Anne called Charles again the next morning and told him to come immediately. 

At around 9.30am Charles was taken by helicopter with Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall.

Operation London Bridge – the code word for the Queen’s funeral plans – began.

The heir to the throne read the briefing papers on his final day as a prince. 

Soon, Charles contacted Prince William, Prince Harry and his younger brothers, Andrew and Edward, and suggested they come to Balmoral. 

He arrived to nearby Birkhall – his and Camilla’s homely retreat – before 10.30am. 

He borrowed a Land Rover from a staff member – their usual cars had not yet arrived – and they drove to Balmoral to spend an hour at the Queen’s bedside. 

Local GP Dr Douglas Glass had visited again and determined Elizabeth was stable but coming towards the end of her life.

One of the officials involved told Mr Hardman that it was expected to be a ‘day or two, not an hour or two’.

It was then decided that a statement would be made on the Queen’s health and every major news outlet in the country was notified of the situation at 12.32pm.

The momentous statement said: ‘The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical ­supervision. 

‘The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.’

Charles’ two sons began to make travel arrangements to get to the royal residence. 

Prince William flew alone in an RAF plane and Harry travelled separately, though he claimed in his memoir Spare that he had tried to liaise with his brother but received no response.

However, a senior Kensington Palace aide told Mr Hardman that no contact was received from Harry. 

Harry also claimed that his father was ‘nonsensical and disrespectful’ when he told him that he did not want Meghan to come to Balmoral.

Charles is said to have explained that he did not want lots of people in the house and added that Kate was not coming either. 

‘Then that’s all you needed to say,’ Harry replied. 

After spending time with his mother, Charles went to the grounds of Birkhall to gather mushrooms and Camilla headed out on a walk. 

Meanwhile, Princess Anne and the Queen’s personal assistant Angela Kelly took it in turns to sit with the Queen, while Reverend Kenneth MacKenzie read the bible to her. 

Then, at around 3pm, Dr Glass was asked to quickly get to the Queen’s side. Anne contacted Charles and told him to return.  

Mr Hardman told how, when Dr Glass arrived at 3.25pm, the Queen appeared to have stopped breathing.

As Charles drove back to Balmoral, Dr Glass confirmed that the Queen had passed away. 

He agreed a time of death of 3.10pm with Sir Edward Young, and the private secretary then went on to contact Charles. 

When the call reached the new monarch, he pulled over and stopped the car on the back drive of Balmoral. 

After being called ‘Your Majesty’ for the first time, Charles simply said, ‘We’re nearly there’ and then continued up to the castle.

The new King and Queen were greeted by Princess Anne and Sir Edward.

The late Queen’s private secretary asked Charles what name he would reign under, and was surprised to find that the newly-bereaved King consoling him too. 

While Charles contacted his immediate family members – firstly Prince William as he was now next in line to the throne – Parliament was also notified. 

Liz Truss took the news on just her second day of being prime minister. 

Charles called William through the switchboard but did not want to tell the operator before his son, so instead introduced himself as ‘it’s me’.

The operator recognised his voice and put him through to William, and then to Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. 

However, Mr Hardman wrote how Harry was not contactable due to him being in the air.  

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had already headed home early from his holiday after reading the earlier news of the Queen’s health and assuming the worst was the come. 

His concerns were confirmed when his chief of staff called him to say ‘London Bridge’.

Just hours after his mother’s death, the new King Charles issued a heartfelt tribute to his mother in a statement to the nation.

He said in a written statement: ‘The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

‘We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother.

‘I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

‘During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.’

Ms Truss, who was PM for just 50 days before being forced to resign following her disastrous mini-budget, said: ‘Today the crown passes, as it has done for more than 1,000 years, to our new monarch, to our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III.’

Ms Truss also paid tribute to the late monarch’s ‘great legacy’ and said: ‘Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign.

‘Britain is the great country it is today because of her.’

She added: ‘Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed.

‘She was the very spirit of Great Britain – and that spirit will endure.’

In a statement, the Palace said: ‘The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.’

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to London to pay their respects to the monarch. 

Many of them queued overnight across London to see the Queen’s coffin as it lay in state in Westminster Hall ahead of her funeral. 

And a sea of flowers, as well as Paddington Bear toys and marmalade sandwiches, were laid by the public in the royal parks and outside Buckingham Palace 

The Queen’s funeral on September 19 was watched by 28 million people. 

Charles III New King. New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman, was published by Macmillan in January