Heartbreaking location King Charles was told his mother the late Queen had died

was informed of the death of his mother, and addressed as Your Majesty for the very first time, in a telephone call which took place in a surprisingly informal setting.

passed away at 3:10pm on 8 September 2022. Her son and heir had been by her bedside, but left to clear his head - unaware how little time she had left.

He was notified by a phone call while he was driving nearby - more precisely, the royal was on the B976 onto the back drive of the Balmoral estate when he stopped his car and took a call from his late mother's private secretary, , who informed him of her passing.

In his book Charles III New King. New Court. The Inside Story, royal author shared details of the moment Charles fulfilled his destiny.

He wrote: "Schoolchildren are taught that the longest reign in British history began at a Kenyan watering hole; that Princess Elizabeth was watching wildlife from the branches of a giant fig tree when died in his sleep on 6 February 1952 that his dutiful daughter, having climbed up as a Princess, climbed down as Queen.

"History will record that, seven decades later, on the afternoon of 8 September 2022, her son and heir was on an unmarked Scottish country road, at the wheel of his car, when he was first addressed as 'Your Majesty'. He had been to visit the Queen at earlier in the day and had then spent a few hours at his nearby home, Birkhall, before returning to the castle.

'In the manner of his late mother, he had climbed into the car as both Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay (his title when in ).Twenty minutes later, he would climb out of it as King Charles III - with at his side.'

It would later transpire in Queen Elizabeth II's official death certificate that she passed away at 3:10pm. Of her family members, only Charles, Camilla and were able to see her before she died.

Fortuitously, both siblings were already in Scotland having carried out events in the country earlier in the week, including the , which they attended together over the weekend.

Sadly, the rest of the family were unable to arrive in time. confirmedat 12.50pm that , , and had started to make their way to Scotland. They landed at 3:50, 40 minutes after her death.

With William at the wheel, they drove to Balmoral, arriving at 5.06pm. , meanwhile, left Luton airport onboard a private jet at about 5.30pm. He was still in the air when the announcement of the queen's death was made at 6.30pm.