Queen’s Final Days: A Peaceful Reflection on Faith

The late Queen was at peace and spent her final days reflecting on her Christian faith, according to a Church leader who was with her. 

Friday marks the first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96. 

A guest at the Balmoral estate in the days before her death was the former Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly, the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields. 

He preached the sermon during the Queen’s final Sunday service before her death, at the nearby Crathie Kirk, and joined her for dinner at the royal residence.

Speaking to the Mail Online, he recalled her being mentally sharp but more frail than he had expected.

He remembered the Queen being at peace but also thinking a great deal about her Christian faith. 

“It would be normal for a Moderator to talk about matters of faith but I was very interested in how much she wanted to talk about her own,” he said.

“It was her Platinum Jubilee year and so she was looking back. She had remarkable recall. She had no regrets and was very much at peace.

“She also mentioned her father – George VI – and the great influence his faith had on her.”

He recalled a poignant moment when she went to the window and said “who would not want to be here”.

“She was in a very peaceful, private place. She was at peace,” he said. 

Following her death on 8 September 2022, Dr Greenshields preached the sermon during a service of thanksgiving for her life at St Giles’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, and attended her funeral at Westminster Abbey.

King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will be marking the anniversary by attending a service at Crathie Kirk.

“In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us,” the King said.