The monarch, who has long‑standing ties to the Cotswolds through his Highgrove estate near Tetbury, has written a moving reflection on his late mother’s final summer at Balmoral.

In his latest remarks, Charles sets out the deep personal importance of the Scottish residence to the whole family.

The late Queen died in September 2022, prompting an outpouring of grief and tributes from around the world.

READ MORE: Mary Berry talks turning 91 after finding ‘joy’ at retirement home

Just a day after her death and his accession to the throne, the King addressed the nation and paid tribute to his “darling mama”.

Further reflections on his mother’s final months have now been shared in the foreword to a new book, Balmoral by Mary Miers, as reported by The Telegraph.

In the text, the King explains that Queen Elizabeth “particularly treasured her time at Balmoral”.

He goes on to note the poignant detail that “It was here, in these most beloved of surroundings, that she chose to spend her final days.”

Balmoral Castle had long been regarded as the late Queen’s favourite residence, where she traditionally spent summers with her family away from public duties.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson ‘parties in pub until 4.30am’ celebrating win

The King underlines the strength of the family’s attachment to the estate, writing, “Since my earliest childhood, it has held, and continues to hold, a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.”

His reflections echo those of his sister, Princess Anne, who was with Queen Elizabeth for the last 24 hours of her life – an experience she has said she felt very “fortunate” to share.

The Princess Royal accompanied her mother’s coffin from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

She then travelled with the coffin as it was taken on to London and said in a statement at the time: “It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys.

“Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting.”

According to experts, this level of resistance exercise can lower the risk of dying from any cause by 13% and from conditions such as heart disease and stroke by 19%.

The benefits are even more striking for neurological diseases, with a 27% lower risk observed among those who regularly engage in strength training.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, tracked 147,374 people (31,540 men and 115,834 women) for up to 30 years.

The simple exercise that will help you live longer

Participants reported their strength training and aerobic activity every two years.

Strength training included exercises using weights or body weight, such as dumbbell work, squats and lunges.

Aerobic exercise included brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis and squash.

The best outcomes were seen in individuals who combined high levels of both aerobic and strength training, with risk reductions of up to 58% among the most active.

Adults are advised to do muscle-strengthening activities that target all major muscle groups – legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms – on at least two days each week.

Tom Burton, strategic lead for health and wellbeing policy at Sport England, said: “Strength-based physical activity is a powerful tool, particularly in support of healthy ageing – helping prevent or delay poor health, keeping us mobile and independent and easing pressures on overstretched health and care services.

“Sport England research has found that active lifestyles prevent 3.3 million cases of chronic illness a year, as well as saving £8 billion a year for healthcare services.

“Our mission is to make physical activity accessible to all – it’s the key to healthier, wealthier and happier communities.”

The NHS also recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.

Recommended Reading

Moderate activities include very brisk walking (at 4mph or faster), cycling at 10mph-12mph, or badminton.

Vigorous options include jogging (at 6mph or faster), fast cycling, basketball, tennis, or hiking.

Researchers said the results reinforce the importance of including strength training alongside aerobic exercise for overall health and longevity.

They noted that while up to two hours of weekly strength training is beneficial, exceeding this amount does not appear to offer additional gains in reducing early mortality risk.

What weekly exercises do you do? Let us know in the comments.

The path, which runs behind homes adjacent to Gavray Drive and between Mallards Way, is regularly used by dog walkers and is known locally for its wildlife.

Sandra Williams, who walks her dogs down the path daily, heard chainsaws and chippers from near her home, just off of the path, on Wednesday, May 27.

A Blue Tit bird which Sandra Williams says was displaced after the trees were felled (Image: Sandra Williams)

After the operation she noticed a sudden influx of distressed young birds take shelter in her garden.

READ MORE: Will trains ever run on £1.3bn long-awaited East West Rail line from Oxford?

“I had loads of flustered juvenile birds landing on my fences and bushes,” she said, explaining that their garden, which includes feeders and nest boxes, appeared to become a refuge during the disturbance.

Among them was a young blue tit, which flew into a window and was temporarily stunned. The resident was able to safely move the bird to a nearby tree, where it later recovered and flew away.

The felled trees on a path near Gavray Drive (Image: Sandra Williams)

She said: “Luckily I managed to scoop it up and after a short while, popped it into my Magnolia tree where it recovered itself and eventually flew off.”

She believes some of the trees removed were more than 30 years old, based on the size of the remaining stumps.

Photos shared show a stark contrast between one side of the pathway, which remains untouched, and the other, which has been described as “completely butchered”.

Concerns have also been raised about the loss of privacy for nearby homes and the potential long-term impact on local wildlife, including birds and squirrels.

The felled trees on a path near Gavray Drive (Image: Sandra Williams)

She added: “You can hear the number of birds that live in this alleyway – their undeniable tweetering is proof.

“If the rest of this pathway is scheduled for such drastic coppicing, it will be a disaster for the local birds and squirrels that live there.”

READ MORE: Chopstix opens at M40 services near Bicester after refurb

Someone who wants to fell trees on public land will need to apply for a felling licence from the Forestry commission. This is not the case on private land, such as in a garden, unless it is a protected tree under a preservation order.

While cutting trees in England during peak bird nesting season in the spring and summer months is not illegal, it becomes an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act if a wild bird is intentionally killed or injured or their nests and eggs are damaged or destroyed.

Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council and said its teams were not responsible for the work, with the latter redirecting their enquiries to Bicester Town Council.

A response from the town council is still awaited.