What Queen Elizabeth's doctor revealed about her final hours?

In his book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, royal author Robert Hardman sheds light on Queen Elizabeth II's final hours, revealing a poignant account from her personal doctor, Dr. Douglas Glass. 

As the local GP responsible for her care, Dr. Glass made an unsettling observation during his last visit. He noted that while the Queen remained stable, it was clear that she was nearing the end of her life.

One official close to the situation also shared with Hardman that the expectation was that the Queen had "a day or two, not an hour or two" left, underscoring the unexpected speed of her decline.

At 12:32 p.m. on the day of her passing, Buckingham Palace issued a public statement: “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." 

Shortly afterward, a 12:50 p.m. announcement stated that senior royals, including Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and the Duchess of Wessex, were en-route to Scotland, signaling the gravity of the situation.

At 2:00 p.m., it was also announced that Prince Harry and Meghan, who were in the UK for an event, were making their way to Scotland. However, Queen Elizabeth passed away at 3:10 p.m., a fact revealed when her death certificate was released weeks later. 

Her cause of death was listed as "old age," and it was Dr. Glass, her personal apothecary at Balmoral, who officially pronounced her deceased.

In Gyles Brandreth’s biography, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Dr. Glass expressed that concern for the Queen's health had been ongoing for months, stating, “It was expected and we were quite aware of what was going to happen.”

Dr. Glass, who had been the apothecary for the Balmoral household since 1988, also worked as a general practitioner in Braemar, a nearby village. 

His role in caring for the royal family spanned decades, providing him with a deep connection to their lives, particularly during the final moments of the Queen’s reign.