The Queen's last summer was said to be 'one of her happiest' as she spent time with family and friends, alongside a small group of loyal staff. The Monarch, died yesterday aged 96, at Balmoral Castle - the highland estate that she loved to visit, with many happy memories of Prince Philip there.
Her sudden decline came as a shock to those close to her - but visiting her Aberdeenshire Highland estate brought a sense of peace. Accompanying Her Majesty was the small handful of loyal staff who vowed to stay with her until the end. This includes Paul Whybrew, a Page of the Backstairs, nicknamed 'Tall Paul' and Barry Mitford, her Serjeant-at-Arms.
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In Whybrew's role, he is one of four senior servants of the Royal Household who attends to The Queen or King, with one accompanying them at all times. They serve all meals, deal with domestic matters, care for the Corgis and were even allowed into Her Majesty's private rooms.
The pair were regularly by her side, as they brought her a copy of the Racing Post, and watched sport with her on television most days. Also close was Angela Kelly, her righthand woman whose official role was 'Personal Assistant, Adviser and Curator to Her Majesty The Queen'.
Nicknamed 'AK47' - sources have told the Daily Mail that she did not leave her side, and will be mourning her close friend and lifelong employer.
'She's been wrapping the Queen up in cotton wool,' a source told the paper. 'She's been very overprotective and ensuring that Her Majesty hasn't been doing too much.'
Ms Kelly is likely to be in charge of selecting the monarch’s funeral gown or robes, as the Queen’s senior dresser and personal adviser
She oversees the teams of seamstresses who may be called upon to help prepare the royal family’s mourning clothes and funeral attire.
A large team of royal courtiers and senior advisers have been called upon at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House in the wake of the Queen’s death.
Many Royal household staff were in tears after the announcement yesterday as they came to terms with the loss.
One told the Daily Mail: “However much you try to prepare yourself for this moment, it just hits you like a ton of bricks. She is irreplaceable.
"I just can't believe we won't see that impish smile again. There is a deep sense of shock.”
Many are vastly experienced, having worked for or closely with the royal household for decades but never during the momentous occasion of the death of a British monarch and the start of a new reign.
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