Queen Elizabeth II made her final appearance just two days before her death when she appointed Britain’s new prime minister Lizz Truss on Tuesday.
Just a few days prior, the monarch appeared at a historic ceremony which took place inside the green-carpeted Drawing Room at Balmoral Castle, instead of at Buckingham Palace as per tradition.
Photos from their meeting showed the 96-year-old happy and smiling however she appeared to have a heavily bruised hand.
ITV’s royal editor Chris Ship previously told Today the bruising was a sign of changing times in the Queen’s advancing years.
“I’m no medic but it could be some form of cannula that the Queen’s had, we are guessing,” Ship said.
The world reacts to death of Queen Elizabeth II
Shortly after the meeting with Truss on Tuesday, the palace announced that the monarch would miss a Privy Council meeting after being advised by doctors to rest.
The meeting was scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
“After a full day, Her Majesty has this afternoon accepted doctors’ advice to rest,” a palace spokesperson said earlier this week.
The Queen also missed the Highland Games event which was held on September 3 in Scotland.
Her Majesty had been staying in Balmoral since late July and had been visited by members of her family in the weeks since.
The last time the Queen was seen in public was on July 15, when the she made a visit to Thames Hospice, Maidenhead in Berkshire.
Her majesty was joined by Princess Anne to open a new building.
How news outlets around the world are paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
The news of her ill health emerged at about 1pm Scottish local time, which was 10pm for Australia.
The death of the beloved monarch came just hours later, shocking the world.
