The late Queen Elizabeth II was known for being one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history, so it’s no surprise she had serious pressures over the decades as Queen of the United Kingdom. A royal biographer even stated she was close to a “Nervous breakdown” during her reign.
The Royal biographer Robert Hardman, who wrote the book “Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public,” described a period marked by intense public scrutiny and global instability that weighed heavily on the monarch during the turbulent summer of 1969.
That summer included the broadcast of the controversial documentary, the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and the investiture of the now King Charles III as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. The ceremony, which was televised, was tainted by violence linked to Welsh nationalist extremists, who carried out bombings in the lead-up to the event, heightening fears for the young prince’s safety.
This anxiety, combined with a broader climate of unrest, including political assassinations in the United States and the conflict in Northern Ireland, created a “febrile atmosphere” for the Queen. Following the investiture, the Queen reportedly withdrew from public life for a week, cancelling all engagements. Despite Buckingham Palace citing the flu. Hardman claims insiders described it as “nervous exhaustion.”
