Queen Elizabeth II’s final diary entry, written a few days before her death was made public

Queen Elizabeth II’s final diary entry, written just two days before her death, has been published.

During her record-breaking 70-year reign, the beloved queen – who died in September 2022 at the age of 96 – kept a private diary to record important events in her life over the years.

She continued this tradition until her final days.

Royal biographer Robert Hardman discovered Her Late Majesty’s handwritten entries while researching updated chapters for his book on King Charles.

According to the author, the late monarch’s final entry into Balmoral, where she died on September 8, came two days after a meeting with Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was then new to the role.

She noted in her diary that her private secretary, Edward Young, had come to visit her. She also wrote down some highlights about the swearing in of new members of the Privy Council.

“It turns out she was writing it at Balmoral two days before her death,” Hardman wrote. “Your last entry was as matter-of-fact and practical as ever.”

“It could have described another normal working day, which began in the usual way – ‘Edward came to me’ – as she noted the arrangements that her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, had made for the swearing-in of the new ministers at the Truss- administration,” he added.

The late queen’s diary recorded her activities rather than her thoughts and feelings, Hardman adds.

Elizabeth once told Society diarist Kenneth Rose: “I have no time to record conversations, only events.”

Queen Elizabeth II was not the only monarch to keep a handwritten diary throughout her long reign.

Queen Victoria, who died in 1901, wrote over 60 million words across various dairies that she ran for almost 70 years.

Elizabeth was inspired by her father, King George V, who also kept a diary during his lifetime.

Furthermore, King Charles followed suit, Hardman notes.

A senior courtier told The Telegraph that while the 75-year-old monarch “doesn’t write grand narrative diaries like he used to,” he does write down “his memories and reflections” of the day.

Nevertheless, the king’s writing style was “not quite as self-analytical, humorous and readable as the diary he kept as a prince.”