Prince Philip secretly battled pancreatic cancer for eight years before his death, according to a new book.
The late royal reportedly received the “inoperable pancreatic cancer” diagnosis in June 2013, after he had surgery at a London Hospital.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers makes the claim in his new book Queen Elizabeth II, and says that despite the diagnosis, the Duke of Edinburgh continued carrying out his public duties until 2017 amid speculation that he “might not be seen in public again”.
Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021 just two months before his milestone 100th birthday, with Vickers claiming that he spent his last days inside Windsor Castle but the late Queen Elizabeth was away when he passed.
“On the last night of his life, he gave his nurses the slip, shuffled along the corridor on his Zimmer frame, helped himself to a beer and drank it in the Oak Room,” Vickers wrote.
“The following morning, he got up, had a bath, said he did not feel well and quietly slipped away. By this point, he had lived with pancreatic cancer for nearly eight years – far longer than the usual survival time from diagnosis.
“The Queen was not there when he died. There had often been times in earlier days when she had asked the staff to let her know when Philip was leaving, only to be told, ‘His Royal Highness left 20 minutes ago’.”
He also claims that the late Queen was “absolutely furious that, as so often in life, he left without saying goodbye”.
Prince Philip’s official cause of death was listed as “old age” on his death certificate.
The late Queen and Prince Philip were married for 73 years, the longest ever in British royal history.
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