The royal family and the British people continue to mourn the passing of beloved Queen Elizabeth II after her state funeral on Monday.
Now that the esteemed monarch has been properly laid to rest, insiders and experts are recalling poignant moments from her past — and delivering touching tributes about the people she impacted during her life.
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As we’ve been reporting, the late Queen was laid to rest next to her husband, Prince Philip, who passed away in April 2021. Her final resting place makes perfect sense, of course. And according to at least one royal expert, it’s an important part of the closure that comes after her death.
Speaking to ET on Monday, royal expert Katie Nicholl revealed her belief that the Queen “died of a broken heart” after grieving her longtime husband’s death since last spring.
“I think she ultimately died of a broken heart, really. She was never the same after Philip went. They’d been together for 74 years. He was, she said, her strength and stay. He supported her in everything she did in life. I think it’s fair to say that she wouldn’t be the Queen that she was without the support of Philip, and I think something in her died when he went.”
Nicholl also explained her belief that the Queen “was never the same” after Philip’s death last year. Thus, when her time came, King Charles III‘s mother was granted the consolation of returning to her beloved’s side for the rest of eternity:
“She held on for as long as she could. She did her constitutional role. She swore in her new Prime Minister. She made sure she tidied everything up, and I think, in the end, she just wanted to be back with him, and I think that’s why we saw that double rainbow over Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.”
Such a moving thought.
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And now, as Nicholl points out, they’ll be together again. Explaining the importance of the late monarch’s resting place, she wrote:
“That moment where the Queen’s coffin was lowered down into the royal vault was very, very powerful. Very emotional. The King found that very, very difficult to watch. But actually, what viewers may not realize, is the Queen had this all worked out, because in that same royal vault, currently lying, is the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin, and they will both be interned together in this private ceremony, which won’t be televised, which will only be for immediate family.”
Nicholl said the Queen’s wish was to make her “final journey” into the afterlife with her beloved late husband by her side:
“It was her wish that he waited for her in the royal vault. She said, ‘Don’t open up my father’s vault,’ which is where they will all end up together, because she knew she wouldn’t be long after, and she wanted that final journey to be made with Phillip by her side.”
Wow.
The Queen’s official cause of death has not yet been released. Of course, the world knows the Queen did not technically die of a broken heart. However, it’s not at all uncommon for elderly couples to follow one another shortly after one passes. Just one of those things…
We continue to send our condolences to the royal family, and those mourning the Queen’s passing.
[Image via John Rainford/Alan West/WENN]
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