King Charles Gives Details About Mother Queen Elizabeth’s Final Days

King Charles III addressed the Scottish Parliament on Sunday, Sept. 29, explaining why his mother Queen Elizabeth II chose Scotland as her final resting place. The speech commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, but it also came within weeks of the anniversary of the queen’s death, and King Charles shared new details on her final days. He said that his family has developed a particular love for Scotland, tying the entire United Kingdom closer together.

The king said that the royal family’s home in Scotland, Balmoral Castle, “always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself,” noting that his “beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish,” according to a report by PEOPLE. He went on: “My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days.”

Balmoral is in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and is the preferred holiday destination for the king, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and other working royals these days. Before that, it was a frequent retreat for Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip. They would generally spend at least a few weeks there at the end of the summer. The queen passed away on Sept. 8, 2022 at Balmoral, and Charles’ speech implies that she knew she would not be returning from the castle at the time. She was 96 years old.

Last year, the king’s sister Princess Anne also discussed Balmoral in the documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year. She said that Queen Elizabeth nearly hesitated to travel to Balmoral, knowing her condition. She said: “I think there was a moment when she felt it would be more difficult if she died at Balmoral. I think we did try to persuade her that that shouldn’t be part of the decision-making process. So I hope she felt that was right in the end, because we did.”

Balmoral has been the site of a royal residence since at least 1390, historians believe, with the castle growing and changing over time. The modern royal family acquired the estate in 1848 during the reign of Queen Victoria, who wrote about the “freedom and peace” of the area in her personal diary. Her doctor reportedly advised her that the climate would be good for her health. The queen was known to spend up to four hours a day taking long walks around the grounds, and she spent even more time there after her husband passed away. The castle has undergone major renovations in the decades since then, and Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George V, began the tradition of spending late summer holidays there.

This year, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Middleton attended church services in the village of Crathie near Balmoral on Sept. 8 to mark the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing. It was Middleton’s first public appearance since she announced the completion of her chemotherapy. The setting clearly holds increasing sentimental value for the royal family.