“No Response”: The Heartbreaking Final Days of Queen Elizabeth II and the Silence Between Royal Brothers
0In the somber final days of Queen Elizabeth II, a moment of silence between two royal brothers has come to light, revealing the deepening rift within the Royal Family. As the world watched the end of an era, Prince Harry reportedly reached out to his brother, Prince William, with a text message during their grandmother’s last moments, only to receive no reply.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in London when Prince Harry received an unexpected call from his father, then-Prince Charles, informing him that the Queen’s health had taken a grave turn. According to Royal author Craig Brown, who recounts the incident in his book Voyage Around the Queen, Harry almost missed the call as it came from an unknown number. The timing was unfortunate; Harry and Meghan were in London for an award ceremony.
When Harry finally connected with his father, he was told, “Granny’s health has taken a turn.” Concerned for the Queen, Harry immediately texted William to ask if he and Kate Middleton were planning to visit Balmoral, where the Queen was being cared for. But as Brown reveals, “There is no response.”
This painful moment was also mentioned by Harry in his memoir, Spare. He wrote, “I immediately texted Willy to ask whether he and Kate were flying up. If so, when? And how? No response. Meg and I looked at flight options.” The silence from his brother during such a critical time must have been difficult to bear, told Express.
The situation grew more complicated when King Charles requested that Harry not bring Meghan to Balmoral, saying he “did not want too many people” around the Queen. Harry, upon hearing that Kate would remain in London, reportedly responded, “Then that’s all you needed to say.”
On September 8, 2022, the day of the Queen’s passing, Prince William, Prince Edward, his wife Sophie, and Prince Andrew departed RAF Northolt on a jet bound for Balmoral. Meanwhile, Harry scrambled to charter a Cessna jet from Luton Airport. As he neared Aberdeen Airport at 6:40 pm, Harry received an urgent text from Meghan, urging him to “call me the moment you get this.” Tragically, by that time, the Duke of Sussex had already learned of his grandmother’s death through BBC News.
The Queen, who had served as the steadfast matriarch of the Royal Family, passed away peacefully at the age of 96. In a poignant memo now kept in the Royal Archives, Sir Edward Young, her top aide, detailed the final moments: “Dougie [Glass] in at 3.25. Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. Death has to be registered in Scotland. Agree 3.10pm. She wouldn’t have been aware of anything. No pain.” Dr. Douglass Glass, the physician who had served the Royal Family for three decades, confirmed the Queen’s death, marking the end of a remarkable reign.
As the world mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, the silence between Harry and William added another layer of sadness to an already heartbreaking moment.