Royal Death: Duchess of Grafton, Queen Elizabeth II's 'Most Loyal' Friend, Dead At 101
Queen Elizabeth II was bombarded with another death news as the former Mistress of the Wardrove died. She was 101.
Multiple news outlets confirmed that Ann Fortune FitzRoy, the Duchess of Grafton, died after serving the Royal Household throughout Queen Elizabeth II's 69 years of reign.
No cause of death has been disclosed yet. The Queen and the royal family have not released a statement to confirm her passing.
With the Duchess' death, Queen Elizabeth II lost her closest friend, who was responsible for her clothes and jewelry.
FitzRoy had been doing her duties since she first joined the Royal Household in 1953 when the Queen was coronated. She was initially referred to as the Lady of the Bedchamber for the Queen before becoming the Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1965.
After FitzRoy's father, she received the title of Duchess of Grafton. It became her latest title three years after becoming the Mistress of the Wardrobe.
How Queen Elizabeth II, Duchess of Grafton Got Closer
Queen Elizabeth II and FitzRoy clicked immediately when they began working together in 1953. One year after, the Duchess asked the Queen to be the godmother to her second daughter, Lady Virginia FitzRoy.
Although she worked behind the scenes most of the time, the Queen honored her and paid tribute to her service by making her the Lady Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1980. It is traditionally given to the royal family members or civilians working for them.
Now, royal fans are extremely worried about the effects the news can bring to Queen Elizabeth II. For what it's worth, she has been dealing with a personal crisis after losing her husband, Prince Philip, in April. Her Majesty even took an early break to Sandringham to "find peace" amid her health struggles.
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Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe recently said it was very unusual for the Queen to visit Sandringham in November. Usually - since the 1980s -- the royal family members have been traveling to Sandringham to celebrate the holiday season with the Queen. It also served as the retirement home for her late husband, Prince Philip, since leaving his post in 2017.
Larcombe told OK! Magazine that the visit was a major sign Queen Elizabeth II suffered.
Meanwhile, Katie Nicholl maintained the Queen would continue serving the monarchy despite her health struggles since it keeps her hype and young.
"Behind the scenes, in private, it's probably been the hardest time of her reign. In [Philip's] absence, her family is incredibly important. They are everything," she said, as quoted by Express UK.
