Her last appearance. Queen Elizabeth II‘s final royal engagement came just days before her death when she appointed new Prime Minister Liz Truss on Tuesday, September 6.
For the first time in her 70-year reign, the monarch welcomed the new leader of the British government in Scotland, where she’d been staying at Balmoral Castle. In the past, the late sovereign had appointed prime ministers from Buckingham Palace in London, but officials made the change so that Truss, 47, wouldn’t have to alter her travel plans if Elizabeth’s mobility issues made it difficult for her to leave Scotland.
Shortly before appointing the Conservative Party leader, the queen met with outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned in July after a series of scandals. “The Right Honourable Boris Johnson MP had an Audience of The Queen this morning and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept,” Buckingham Palace said in a press release on Tuesday.
When she took office on Monday, September 5, Truss became the 15th prime minister to serve under Elizabeth, who acceded to the throne in 1952. When the monarch succeeded her father, King George VI, Winston Churchill was the leader of the United Kingdom’s government. Throughout her 70 years on the throne, she went on to work with Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, David Cameron and more.
Elizabeth died at age 96 on Thursday, September 8, hours after Buckingham Palace announced that she was “under medical supervision” after opting out of several public engagements.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace confirmed in a statement on Thursday. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
After meeting with Truss on Tuesday, the palace announced that the queen would not preside over a Privy Council meeting that was set to take place on Wednesday, September 7. “After a full day yesterday, Her Majesty has this afternoon accepted doctors’ advice to rest,” the palace said in a statement. “This means that the Privy Council meeting that had been due to take place this evening will be rearranged.”
The royal matriarch also missed the Highland Games on Saturday, September 3. Elizabeth was often a regular at the event’s Braemar Gathering, which features pipe bands, a tug-of-war, hill races and more. Her son — and heir to the throne — Prince Charles attended this year in her stead.
Keep scrolling for more photos of Elizabeth’s final royal engagement.
