As Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days at Balmoral, she raised a smile from those who loved her best with a cheeky remark about a former Prime Minister.

Boris Johnson officially offered his resignation as PM on September 6th 2024, just 48 hours before the death of Queen Elizabeth.

And, according to a new book by Tim Shipman, that put the longest reigning Monarch in British history in mischievous mood. For he claims she told those around her she was relieved that his departure meant he would no longer have a say in how her funeral took place.

The revelation came as her son was officially proclaimed King Charles III. For the first time ever, the historic ceremony was televised but one of Elizabeth II’s aides made a surprising confession off camera.

As condolences were offered for the loss of the late Queen, her confidante shared that her final days were happy and that she had even quipped, as Boris Johnson ended his drama packed premiership, that ”at least I won’t have that idiot organising my funeral now.”

In reality, the funeral had been long planned, with Queen Elizabeth II herself overseeing many of the details of the ceremony and procession that would see hundreds of thousands pay tribute as her coffin was borne through the streets of London.

However, Mr Johnson’s departure ahead of Her Late Majesty’s death meant that one very important role at her funeral wasn’t taken by him. The Prime Minister was required to give a reading at the service but by the time Elizabeth II died, the PM was Liz Truss. She, too, would make history by being Prime Minister for the shortest ever time, leaving office the following month and ensuring that King Charles III was on his second PM before official mourning for his mother was even over.

In the book, No Way Out: How Brexit Got Done and the Tories Were Undone, Tim Shipman also talks about how Charles III and Prince William were both angered by situation that Elizabeth II was placed in by the way Boris Johnson went about plans to prorogue Parliament in his attempts to get Brexit sorted.

No Way Out: How Brexit Got Done and the Tories Were Undone by Tim Shipman is published by Harper Collins on November 21st 2024.