The last days of Queen Elizabeth – as told by Liz Truss

The long journey to Aberdeen

Truss recalls being “impatient to get going” as she awaited a meeting with the Queen in Scotland, at which the 48-year-old would be officially confirmed as Boris Johnson’s successor. 

Bad weather added to the tension, with thick fog forcing the Royal Air Force jet carrying her north from London to delay landing and circle over Aberdeen instead.

“Plans had been made. I knew what needed to be done, but the weather was against us,” Truss writes.

“All I could see were the heavy clouds beneath us as we circled over Scotland. Thick fog had rolled in around the airport in Aberdeen, preventing planes from landing, so for the moment I was stranded in mid-air … the delay was frustrating.”

Describing herself as a “woman in a hurry”, Truss says her mind was “already turning over” the in-tray awaiting her as PM.

“But before all that, I had an appointment with Her Majesty the Queen, and we were now at risk of being late or not getting there at all.

“At last, a gap in the clouds appeared, and the pilot managed to get us down on the ground. Another bumpy landing.”

Truss arrives at Balmoral

After touching down in Scotland, Truss was forced to adapt plans for onward travel to Balmoral on account of the fog.

The decision was made to abandon a quick helicopter transfer in favour of a safer, albeit slower, one-hour 15-minute drive to the royal residence.

“On arrival in Aberdeen, the plan was for me, my husband Hugh and my principal private secretary Nick Catsaras to transfer to a helicopter for a short flight to Balmoral Castle,” she writes.

“The fog made this impossible so instead we set out by road, adding yet more time to our journey.”