Queen Elizabeth II left two sealed letters in the final red box of her historic reign. They were found after she had died.
The discovery is described in a new book. ‘Charles III: New King, New Court, The Inside Story’ by Robert Hardman is currently being serialised in the Daily Mail.
In it, the Mail’s royal writer notes the two letters were uncovered when a footman brought a locked red box of paperwork found next to Her Late Majesty in the minutes after she passed away on September 8th 2022.
One was addressed to her eldest son, the new King Charles III, and the other was for her private secretary, Sir Edward Young. The contents of the letters has not been revealed.
Paperwork and the Monarch’s choices for the Order of Merit were also found in the box.
The book, which is published next week, also reveals how Charles III found out he was now king. Having spent an hour with his mother as her health worsened on September 8th, he had gone for a walk and was returning to Balmoral Castle by car. When a phone belonging to one of his party rang, he stopped the car and Sir Edward Young addressed him as ”Your Majesty” for the first time. The new King Charles then drove calmly back to the castle where his sister, Princess Anne, was waiting for him.
Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman is published by Macmillan on January 18th 2024.
