Queen’s former butler reveals exactly how Royal Family will mark anniversary of her death

A former royal butler has shed light on exactly how the anniversary of the late Queen’s death will be marked by “all the family” at Balmoral.

It will be two years this Sunday since Queen Elizabeth died aged 96 at Balmoral, which was a special place for her, and the Royal Family will remember the UK’s longest reigning monarch this weekend at the same Scottish location, said Paul Burrell‌.

He believes the family “will all be there” in private, and will likely mark the occasion by “having a dinner in memory” of the late Queen, where King Charles III will make a toast. He adds that royal fans will see them go to church on Sunday in what will be a “sombre” and “poignant” time for the royals.

‌Mr Burrell pointed to how important Balmoral was for the Queen. “The 8th of September 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,” he said.

“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.”

Mr Burrell, speaking on behalf of Slingo, said: “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.”

Balmoral was also a very private place for the Queen where she could escape the public glare but that has now changed under Charles. “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,” said Mr Burrell. “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.”