Elizabeth II “frail” and “emaciated”: the unhappy scenes of her final official photograph, two days earlier than her loss of life

Photographer Jane Barlow had the distinction of capturing the Queen’s final shot, taken on September 6, 2022, when she met new Prime Minister Liz Truss. She tells behind the scenes of this historic photograph.

That is the final time Queen Elizabeth II posed for official pictures. It was Tuesday September 6, two days earlier than the loss of life of the British sovereign. It is within the center of a front room in his Scottish residence at Balmoral that Queen Elizabeth II has determined to obtain the brand new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, to formally ask her to kind a authorities. An uncommon place for this sort of occasion, due to the queen’s problem in transferring round.

The assembly with Liz Truss constitutes the final second the British individuals noticed their queen, Elizabeth II. “The Queen acquired MP Liz Truss in viewers and demanded that she kind a brand new authorities“, had introduced this Tuesday the providers of the monarch, a couple of moments after having revealed a photograph of the queen with a cane, shaking the hand of the one who then turned the third feminine minister in British historical past.

Smiling however frail

This second was captured by the Press Affiliation photographer Jane Barlow, who’s conscious of getting had this immense privilege: “I used to be despatched to Balmoral to {photograph} the assembly between the Queen and the Prime Minister however for me, the very best photograph is the one the place Elizabeth II poses alone“, entrusted Jane Barlow to the british media. Whereas ready for the arrival of Liz Truss, Jane Barlow was capable of {photograph} the queen alone and retains a tragic reminiscence.

“She seemed frailskinny and drained“, describes the photographer, who affirms that this one confirmed nevertheless”notably smiling.” This portrait, the final official of the Queen, was later made public. However the photographer isn’t the one one to have seen the Queen for her final moments. The Moderator of the Common Meeting of the Church of Scotland and minister, Iain Greenshields, dined with the Queen on Saturday night and Sunday lunchtime: one second “fabulous” in line with his phrases.