Former royal butler reveals how Queen's death anniversary will be marked by 'all the family' in Balmoral

The Queen loved her stays at Balmoral Castle.
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images)


A former royal butler has revealed exactly how anniversary of the Queen's death will be marked by ‘all the family’ at Balmoral.

Paul Burrell says the location is ‘poignant’ as the Queen ‘loved raising her family in Balmoral’ where she passed away at the age of 96.

Sunday, September 8, marks the second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, with members of the Royal Family set to mark the occasion at their Deeside residence.

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Speaking on behalf of Slingo, former royal butler Paul Burrell has spoken out on how he thinks the royal family will remember Great Britain’s longest-reigning monarch this weekend.

He believes the family ‘will all be there’ in private, and will likely mark the occasion by ‘having a dinner in memory’ of the Queen, where King Charles III will ‘make a toast’.

He said: "September 8 will be that day we all have, we will all remember the Queen, and I think it was so perfect that she did pass at Balmoral, the place where she loved raising her family with Prince Philip, and they had such happy times.

"I think they will probably have a dinner in memory of the Queen, and her son, King Charles III, will make a toast, because [the fact she reigned] for 70 years just can't go unmarked. I think the family will all be there to mark it in private."

Paul Burrell former butler to Diana Princess of Wales
Paul Burrell former butler to Diana Princess of Wales -Credit:Ian Vogler

Publicly, he adds that the family will ‘go to church’ to remember the Queen on the anniversary of her death and notes it will be a ‘sombre’ and ‘poignant’ time for the royals and those close to them for ‘a very long time’.

"I think [this year in Balmoral will be particularly poignant for Charles] because it’s two years into being king, two years since his mother died. Balmoral is a very poignant place, because time stands still and our dear Queen casts a long shadow over everything.

"Especially for the family, and especially Balmoral because she was a larger than life presence that filled Balmoral castle. I bet they see her around every corner, and remember the things that she did. They'll remember everything that she did within the castle because she loved Balmoral.

"That's the generational thing, is that there's, there's always a one event that you remember where you were, because in my generation, it's ‘Where you were when you heard Diana died?’ the generation before it was ‘Where were you when you heard Kennedy had been shot?’ Now, it's ‘Where were you when you heard the news that the Queen had died?’.

Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and their sons Prince Edward (second from left), Prince Charles (second from right) and Prince Andrew (right) in the grounds of Balmoral Castle in September 1979
Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and their sons Prince Edward (second from left), Prince Charles (second from right) and Prince Andrew (right) in the grounds of Balmoral Castle in September 1979 -Credit:Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Image

"For 70 years, she was monarch. Her 70 years reign ended at Balmoral, two years ago, and that's why Balmoral is still so special in the royals’ world, because Balmoral was close to the Queen's heart.

"As I said, her shadow is a very long one, even in death, I think Balmoral might as well be bigger than Brigadoon, because time stands still. Here, this special place is remembered as the Queen's home, and two years on, the Royals will be thinking about that.

"Of course they will, and they'll go to church, and they'll all think about their mother, their grandmother, their aunt, or their queen. And it didn't just affect the royal family, it affected the country and all the people that worked on the estate who loved her. So it's a very sombre, poignant time and it will be for many years to come."

Elsewhere, the former butler recalls how the late Queen ‘resisted opening Balmoral to the public all her life’ as it was ‘the only corner she had left’ for herself.

The Deeside home opened its doors earlier this summer as royal fans were given a first look at the late monarch's Scottish residence and some of the rarely seen corners of the castle.

Burrell added: "Now it's open to the public, [the Queen’s] last bastion has gone, and now every royal residence really is open to the public.

"The Queen resisted and resisted all her life and said, ‘No, it's the only corner I have left, that's mine’, but now that's gone, and we've moved on to another generation. Time moves on, but the places stand still."

Finally, Paul explains how Princess Anne was ‘greatly affected’ by her mother’s death, as her only daughter, and labels her ‘the best Queen we never had’.

"[The Queen’s death] affected Anne greatly, being the only daughter, and she's carrying her mother's mantle in many ways, very stoic, hard working, dedicated to the country.

"Anne is the best Queen we never had, because she is very much like Prince Philip, obviously has his mannerisms and his ways, but has her mother's heart, and that's why she works so hard and doesn't ask for anything in return, because that's her job, and she understands it."