Queen Elizabeth died with “no regrets”.
The 96-year-old monarch passed away on September 8, 2022, at her Balmoral estate and Right Reverend, Dr Iain Greenshields, then Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who spent time with her before her death, has revealed that she was at peace when she passed away.
According to the Daily Mail, he said: “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.
“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 added that he found the Queen quite frail but in good spirits.
Speaking about her love for Balmoral, he said: “At one point in our conversations 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.”
Dr Greenshields, who stepped down from his post as Moderator in May, gave the homily at the Service of Thanksgiving for her life at St Giles’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, on September 11 last year and attended her funeral at Westminster Abbey.
He said: “When she died, I thought of my mother and how she, too, had spoken about her faith just before she died and that normally she would never do so.
“So, I do wonder if people, even subconsciously, are getting ready for the end. It’s also very common when people are dying to reflect on their parents, as the Queen did.
“She also mentioned an American religious leader who had a big impact on her and although she didn’t mention his name – and I didn’t interrupt to ask – I did wonder if it was Billy Graham, whom she met.”