Queen Elizabeth’s longtime lady-in-waiting dead at age 90, reports say: ‘It has not been a good year’

Queen Elizabeth II is enduring another loss.

Her longstanding lady-in-waiting Lady Farnham died on Dec. 29, the U.K.’s Telegraph reported on Sunday.

The 90-year-old had been the reigning monarch’s Lady of the Bedchamber since 1987 and traveled alongside her on the way to the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 after Prince Philip was hospitalized. According to the outlet, she was married to Barry Maxwell, the 12th Baron Farnham, who passed away in 2001.

Lady Farnham’s death follows the recent passing of another close confidante, the Duchess of Grafton. The outlet noted that the queen’s Mistress of the Robes served from 1967 until her death on Dec. 3 at age 101.

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"It is very sad for the queen," a royal source told the outlet about the 95-year-old. "… It has not been a good year for the queen – losing her husband and the Duchess of Grafton and now Lady Farnham."

The insider described Lady Farnham as someone who was always "so good-humored."

"They were dear friends who supported the queen on official duties," the palace insider explained. "Unfortunately, a sad consequence of living a long life is that you have to say goodbye to a lot of people you care about."

Reps for the queen didn’t immediately respond to Fox News’ requests for comment.

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Lady Farnham was born Diana Marion Gunnis. She married Lord Farnham in 1959 and they adopted two daughters. She had four grandchildren.

The outlet shared that Elizabeth will continue to be assisted on official duties by several long-serving ladies-in-waiting. They include Lady Susan Hussey, 82, who traveled with her in the car to Prince Philip’s funeral last April, as well as Dame Mary Morrison, 85, who has been Woman of the Bedchamber since 1960.

This holiday season was a somber one for Elizabeth. It was the first time in more than 70 years that she celebrated Christmas without Philip, who passed away at age 99.

During her annual Christmas Day message, Elizabeth shared the pain she felt after the death of her husband as she encouraged people everywhere to celebrate with friends and family, despite the grief caused by the ongoing pandemic.

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Saying she understood the difficulty of spending the holiday season "with one familiar laugh missing," the monarch delivered her address beside a framed photograph of her arm-in-arm with her beloved husband. On her right shoulder was the same sapphire chrysanthemum brooch she wore in the photo — a glittering statement pin that she also wore as a newlywed.

"Although it’s a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones," the queen said in the prerecorded message broadcast when many British families were enjoying their traditional Christmas dinner. "This year, especially, I understand why.’’

Despite her loss, the queen said her family was a "source of great happiness," noting that she had welcomed four great-grandchildren this year.

As the highly transmissible omicron coronavirus variant spreads rapidly across the U.K., the queen decided not to spend Christmas at Sandringham, the royal estate in eastern England where she traditionally spends the festive season with family. Instead, she spent the holidays at Windsor Castle, west of London, where she has remained throughout most of the pandemic.

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Buckingham Palace announced that Elizabeth agreed to stage a service of thanksgiving for Philip's life in the spring.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.