The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland recalls his final visit to Balmoral, describing the Queen as the “life and soul of things”.
Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, 68, was a guest at Balmoral Castle on the weekend before the death of the Queen, aged 96.
He was invited to the Aberdeenshire estate following his sermon at the nearby Braemar and Crathie Parish Church, also known as Crathie Kirk.
Describing the Queen as “full of fun” and the “life and soul of things”, Dr Greenfields attended dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday with several senior royals.
These included the Prince of Wales – now King Charles III – and Princess Anne, with it coming as a great shock over the news of the Queen’s death just days later.
The nation mourns the loss of a great monarch who was a symbol of the United Kingdom for seven decades.
Dr Greenfields recalled the Queen was as sharp as ever having an excellent memory for places, names, people and even horses.
‘She was really full of fun.’
He said: “It was a fantastic visit. Her memory was absolutely amazing and she was really full of fun.
“It came as a great shock to me when I heard she was gravely ill because she was in amazingly good form over the weekend.
“She was the life and soul of things. She was speaking very personally to me about her time there way back when she was a child, she was talking about her horses from the past, naming them from 40 years ago, people’s names and places. She was quite remarkable.”
“She talked about her memories of Balmoral as a child, her father the King and the Church of Scotland, which she had a very fond affection for.
“She asked about me, my ministry and my family and came across as a happy person and was very gracious. It was a very engaging and thoroughly enjoyable experience.”
The Queen was unwavering in her religious beliefs and regularly attended church at Crathie Kirk alongside village residents.
Dr Greenfields paid tribute to her faith, service and dedication, a hallmark of the Queen’s long reign.
The Church of Scotland has produced a set of hymns, prayers and other worship materials to help its members mark The Queen’s passing.