Buckingham Palace has shared a beautiful image of Queen Elizabeth II on the third anniversary of her death.
As September 8 2025 began, the Palace added a striking photo of Elizabeth II to its social media feeds.
There was one simple message with the picture that read ”Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.”
The image showed Elizabeth II smiling and wearing blue, one of her favourite colours. Always known for her love of brooches, the gem shown in this photo had a personal meaning to Elizabeth II. Buckingham Palace chose a picture of her wearing a sapphire, diamond and pearl brooch that she inherited from her beloved grandmother, Queen Mary.
The day also marks the third anniversary of the accession of King Charles III. However, the Palace chose not to mention that as the day got under way. The King, as his mother always did before him, keeps the anniversary as a personal moment of reflection and mourning for that which was lost rather than as a commemoration of his own reign.
It is understood that His Majesty is at Balmoral on the anniversary along with Queen Camilla. Prince William will undertake engagements honouring the memory of Elizabeth II.
It was at Balmoral that Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 2022. Charles III was also at the castle and that is where his reign began.
September 8 2022 had begun quietly for the Royal Family but just after noon, Buckingham Palace put out a statement that said ”Following further evaluation this morning, 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.”
Concerns were immediately raised and crowds began to gather at Buckingham Palace waiting for news. The brevity but clarity of the statement made it obvious that something very serious was happening.
Queen Elizabeth II had been at Balmoral for several weeks and just days before, had been seen meeting Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister, who headed to Scotland for the ”kissing of hands” ceremony that begins a tenure in Number Ten.
Another image was released, of Elizabeth II waiting after bad weather delayed her newest PM’s arrival. She stood smiling, by a fireplace, calm and serene. It was shared after the photos of her with Liz Truss and became the final official image of her historic reign.
(By Stuart Yeates from Oxford, UK – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Elizabeth II had two of her children with her at Balmoral on the morning of September 8 – her eldest son, Charles, and her only daughter, Anne.
As the afternoon continued, rain fell in London and as evening approached, rainbows began to appear in the sky at the Palace. The Royal Family, including Elizabeth II’s younger sons, Andrew and Edward, headed to Scotland. They were seen just after 5pm being driven to Balmoral by Prince William with Edward’s wife, Sophie.
It’s not known if, at that moment, they knew what had happened. For at 3.10pm, Elizabeth II had died at Balmoral. The longest reign in British history was over and the Monarch was now King Charles III.
Just after 6.30pm, the flag at Buckingham Palace began to descend, slowly. At the same time, a statement was released that read ”The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Those simple sentences were read thousands of times around the world as the news of the death of the longest reigning Monarch in British history was relayed. Elizabeth II had been a constant in the life of her country for seven decades but she was also one of the most famous and most respected people on the planet.
In the days that followed, many mourned her while her son, Charles III, spoke warmly of her love for her country and her family. Her funeral took place on September 19 2022.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1926 – 2022
