Queen Elizabeth Knew Her 96th Birthday 'Might Be Her Last' Prior to Shocking Death

Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022 at the age of 96, making Her Majesty the longest-reigning monarch in British history. In honor of the late queen, royal expert and friend Gyles Brandreth wrote a biography about Her Majesty in which he claimed Elizabeth knew her time was limited before she ultimately left this Earth.

"Towards the end of her life, the Queen did not mind looking back," the former Parliament wrote in Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait. "She took time to look back in a personal way earlier this year (2022), sitting looking at reels of old 'home movies' that she and her parents had shot over the years."

"She recorded the commentary to go with the home movies on May 19, 2022, just a month after her 96th birthday," he continued.

According to Brandreth, Elizabeth knew the birthday celebration "may be her last."

Before her death, Elizabeth shared that watching her four kids, King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, evolve into parents was a privilege.

"One of the joys of living a long life is watching one’s children, then grandchildren," Elizabeth said. "We can’t be certain what lies ahead for them, but we should know enough to put them on the right path. We can do this if we have the good sense to learn from the experience of those who have gone before us."

She acknowledged that the "years have slipped by so quickly," but added, "there is no point in regretting the passage of time. I have lived long enough to know that things never remain quite the same for very long. No one can make history stand still. Events change with startling speed."

After ascending to the throne, Charles paid homage to his mom in his first speech as king.

“I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow. Throughout her life, Her Majesty the Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example," Charles stated.

His Majesty continued: “Alongside the personal grief that all my family are feeling, we also share with so many of you in the United Kingdom, in all the countries where the Queen was head of state, in the Commonwealth and across the world, a deep sense of gratitude for the more than 70 years in which my Mother, as Queen, served the people of so many nations."

“In 1947, on her 21st birthday, she pledged in a broadcast from Cape Town to the Commonwealth to devote her life, whether it be short or long, to the service of her peoples," he added.

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Since Elizabeth ruled for over seven decades, Charles hopes to build upon her legacy.

“That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life. She made sacrifices for duty," Charles stated. “Her dedication and devotion as sovereign never waivered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss."

“In her life of service, we saw that abiding love of tradition, together with that fearless embrace of progress, which make us great as nations. The affection, admiration and respect she inspired became the hallmark of her reign," he concluded.