Prince Philip was reportedly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer eight years before his death in April 2021 at the age of 99.
British biographer and historian Hugo Vickers shares this surprising fact in his forthcoming book, Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, which was reviewed by Page Six.
“Doctors found a shadow on his pancreas and made an incision in his abdomen,” Vickers wrote. “The verdict was inoperable pancreatic cancer.”
Mr Vickers added that following his diagnosis in 2013 it was thought that Prince Philip “might never appear in public again”, but the duke has “outwitted the pessimists”.
Mr Vickers said Mr Philip reportedly stayed briefly at Wood Farm, on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, before returning to public life in August 2013.
Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Philip ultimately passed away at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2021, two months before his 100th birthday. The royal family described his death as “very peaceful” and the cause of death was determined to be “old age.”
Meanwhile, Mr Vickers writes that the prince “didn’t want to celebrate his 100th birthday” because he “hated the fuss-making attendants at such events”.
“On the last night of his life, he handed the slip to the nurse and limped down the hall in his Zimmer frame, drinking himself a beer and drinking it in the Oak Room,” Vickers writes of Phillips’ final hours.
“The next morning he woke up, took a bath, said that he did not feel well and quietly left,” the writer continued. “By this point, he had been living with pancreatic cancer for nearly eight years, which was much longer than the typical survival time from diagnosis.”
However, Queen Elizabeth was reportedly “not present” when Philip died.
“In the past, when I would ask staff to tell me when Prince Philip was leaving, I would often be told, ‘His Royal Highness left 20 minutes ago,'” Vickers writes in Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History.
The author also reports that Elizabeth was “absolutely furious” that her husband of more than 70 years frequently “left without saying goodbye.”
As for the Queen, she passed away on September 8, 2022, about 17 months after Prince Philip. He passed away at the age of 96.
Elizabeth’s cause of death was listed as “old age,” just like her husband’s.
“The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of greatest sadness for me and my entire family,” King Charles, who took the throne following his mother’s death, said in a statement at the time.
The king, who was diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer in January 2024, continued, “We deeply mourn the passing of our precious king and our deeply beloved mother.” “I know her loss will be felt deeply by countless people across the country, the kingdom, the commonwealth and around the world.”
Britain will celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday on April 21st.
