Camilla Jessen
The detail that left Queen Elizabeth deeply upset.
New claims about the final years of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II have shed light on their health and last moments together. The revelations, however, touch on deeply private aspects of the royal family that were rarely discussed publicly.
According to biographer Hugo Vickers, Prince Philip suffered from pancreatic cancer for around eight years before his death in April 2021.
Writing in Queen Elizabeth II, Vickers said the illness was diagnosed in 2013 and described as inoperable.
Despite this, the Duke of Edinburgh lived significantly longer than typically expected for such a diagnosis.
Final moments
Vickers also detailed Philip’s final hours at Windsor Castle.
He wrote that on his last evening, the prince walked through the castle before having a drink in the Oak Room.
“The next morning, he woke up, took a bath, said he wasn’t feeling well and died peacefully,” the biographer said.
Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021, just weeks before his 100th birthday, following a series of hospitalisations in his later years.
Queen’s reaction
The Queen, who had been married to Philip for more than seven decades, was reportedly deeply affected by not being present at the moment of his death.
Vickers said she was particularly upset that “as often in life, he left without saying goodbye.”
Philip had long been described by Elizabeth II as “her rock,” highlighting the significance of their relationship.
The biography also revisits claims about the Queen’s own health.
It suggests she suffered from bone marrow cancer, a detail that later emerged through comments attributed to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The royal family traditionally kept medical matters private, a convention largely upheld throughout Elizabeth II’s reign.
While King Charles III has taken a more open approach by confirming his own cancer diagnosis, previous generations avoided public discussion of such issues.
Sources: Hugo Vickers biography Queen Elizabeth II, News.ro.
