Orris Johnson told how the Queen was “totally into it” despite appearing ill during their last meeting, just two days before her death. The MP said she remained “actively focused” on both global and British politics when he formally tendered his resignation as prime minister to her, even though “it’s clear he was not well”. Mr Johnson had his final audience with the Queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 6, as she paved the way for Liz Truss to succeed him at Downing Street. The Conservative backbencher, who was the 14th prime minister of the monarch’s 70-year reign, said he was moved by her “sense of duty” during their meeting. Mr. Johnson speaks in the House of Commons for the Queen / PRU/AFP via Getty Images
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He told the BBC: “One of the reasons it was such a shock on the eighth day when I heard about her death was because in that audience she was absolutely into it. Just two days before her death. “He was keenly focused on geopolitics, UK politics, quoting statesmen from the 50s, it was brilliant. “She looked very bright, very focused. Look, she was clearly not well, I think that was the thing that I found so touching when we all heard about her passing two days later. “I just thought how incredible that her sense of duty had kept her the way she had, given how ill she was obviously, how amazing it was that she should be so bright and so focused. So it was a very emotional moment.” Mr Johnson, who was forced to step down after a series of scandals including partygate, was prominent among politicians paying tribute to the Queen after her death on Thursday.
