Even though she was 96 years old, the world was still a bit shocked last week when news of Queen Elizabeth II's death broke. But there's one person who may have been planning for it: the Queen herself. One royal expert believes that the Queen not only knew she was going to die at Balmoral, but she actually wanted it that way.
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8
After 70 years of reigning over the United Kingdom, the Queen's era ended, ushering in a new era with King Charles III.
The royal period of mourning is still in effect, of course, and will be for the next few weeks, both before and after Elizabeth's state funeral is held on Monday, September 19.
One royal expert believes Elizabeth knew she was going to die
According to The Daily Mail, when royal expert Katie Nicholl appeared on the BBC this week, she claimed that the Queen "knew she wasn't going to come back" from Balmoral when she arrived there at the end of the summer.
"I actually think there's a bit of her that knew she wasn't going to come back, I think she wanted to be in Balmoral and she wanted to pass there. And the fact that she did peacefully is actually a blessing in all of this," she said.
There, she didn't just have to be a queen
"I think Balmoral was the one place where she could actually leave her crown at the gates and be a different role, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother," Katie said.
Since Balmoral had been a beloved spot for her since she was a child, it may have been her choice to spend her final days there, even if she may not have voiced that feeling out loud.
The decision for Elizabeth to travel to Balmoral may have been a big one
Given that she was having issues with her health, staying in London might have been the smarter thing to do, but instead she decided to make her regular trip anyway.
"That decision speaks volumes really about the fact that she was A) very comfortable to be in Balmoral, somewhere where she was happy to be with lots of good memories, but knowing too, with health issues and the challenges there, it might be a difficult stay and yet she insisted on making the journey," Katie added.
In the end, it certainly seems like she had a peaceful sendoff
The loss of Queen Elizabeth II has been felt around the world, but it's been expected, given her age and the condition of her health in the past couple of years.
Hopefully, the fact that she was at Balmoral when it happened is bringing her family peace.
