Queen Elizabeth Suffers A New Blow In Her Personal Life

2021 has easily been one of Queen Elizabeth's most difficult years to date. The British monarch, who has sat on the throne for almost 70 years, suffered a number of devastating hardships this year. First, there was the stress caused by the continued fallout from her grandson, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle's decision to move to the United States. Once they were stateside, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey, where Meghan alleged certain members of the royal family were openly racist towards her and that she was denied help for her seriously declining mental health while living in the palace.

However, probably the most devastating blow was the loss of her husband, Prince Philip. Philip died in May, about a year after retiring from public life. Elizabeth took some time out of the public eye following his death to mourn the loss, but was back to work after just four days, according to The Washington Post. Still, juggling her demanding schedule and the heartache of Philip's death, the queen suffered yet another loss last week when her close friend the Duchess of Grafton died at the age of 101, per the Daily Mail.

Queen Elizabeth's close friend and confidant, Ann Fortune FitzRoy, the Duchess of Grafton, died on December 3, according to the Daily Mail. Elizabeth showed her affection for FitzRoy by making her Mistress of the Robes in 1966. As Mistress of the Robes, Grafton was responsible for all of the queen's clothing and jewelry. Additionally, FitzRoy accompanied the Queen on international trips and the annual Opening of Parliament. In return, FitzRoy made Elizabeth the godmother of one of her daughters, per Hello!.

The devastating loss could not come at a worse time for the monarch. While still processing the death of her late husband, Prince Philip, the queen is dealing with her own slew of health problems. Elizabeth missed the annual laying of the wreath at the remembrance day ceremony in November, something she has always taken great pride in doing. The palace released a statement explaining that Elizabeth hurt her back and was therefore unable to attend, per CNN.

The stress of her declining health and the repeated losses she's suffered this year have reportedly been compounded by concerns for the future of the royal family. As the queen's time on the throne draws to a likely close, questions of who will succeed her are being brought to the forefront. Prince Charles is the next in line, but also widely disliked by the public, which throws the future of the monarchy into doubt. Suffice it to say, Elizabeth has a lot on her mind and probably wishes FitzRoy was around to cheer her up.