New biography claims Queen secretly battled cancer in her final year

The late monarch was diagnosed with a painful form of myeloma — bone marrow cancer — in her final year, according to a new biography offering deeply personal insights into her life.

The official cause of death was “old age”, but a startling new book has claimed the late Queen Elizabeth II was secretly battling bone cancer in her final year.

They say no-one knew the royals like Gyles Brandreth, an Oxford-educated author, broadcaster, and former British MP, who was also a close friend of the family. His new book ‘Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait’ comes out on December 8.

“I had heard that the Queen had a form of myeloma — bone marrow cancer — which would explain her tiredness and weight loss and those ‘mobility issues’ we were often told about during the last year or so of her life,” he wrote.

“The most common symptom of myeloma is bone pain, especially in the pelvis and lower back, and multiple myeloma is a disease that often affects the elderly.

“Currently, there is no known cure, but treatment — including medicines to help regulate the immune system and drugs that help prevent the weakening of the bones — can reduce the severity of its symptoms and extend the patient’s survival by months or two to three years.”

Cover of Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait by Gyles Brandreth. Source: Penguin

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married for 73 years. Picture: Getty

Philip’s final days

An excerpt published online has given incredibly personal insights into Her Majesty’s life, including the remarkable stoicism she displayed in her twilight years.

For example, when the Duke of Edinburgh retired from public duties in 2017, he and the Queen wouldn’t see each other for weeks, but Brandreth reports that understood Philip’s need to “see out his days in his own way”. They spoke regularly on the phone and rediscovered the pleasure of each other’s company during the pandemic.

However, the Queen was determined to be with him when he passed away. She barely left his side for weeks as his health declined, but he slipped away so quickly on the morning of April 9 2021 that palace staffers were unable to rouse her in time.

Brandreth said the Queen sought solace in British police procedural ‘Line of Duty’ in the days after her husband passed away, but she had strong objections to the constant “mumbling”.

The Queen described Prince Andrew’s account of the Epstein drama as “intriguing”. Picture: Richard Pohle/AFP

The Epstein drama

Though Prince Andrew was always said to be the Queen’s favourite, the book reveals she didn’t hesitate to take action after the infamous 2019 television interview discussing his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

When the Prince recounted the story to his mother, she reportedly listened carefully before replying with a single word: “Intriguing”.

Her Majesty had no qualms about stripping him of his senior royal duties, but she did deliberately allow herself to be seen riding with him in Windsor Great Park the next day and Brandreth writes that she wanted him to be by her side during Philip’s memorial.

She was described as a “loving” mother, photographed with her family in 1968. Picture: Supplied

‘Post-natal side effects’

The new book also goes into unprecedented detail about the Queen’s introduction to motherhood. For example, her first three children were born using a technique called Daemmerschlaf, which involved putting labouring women into a state of twilight sleep prior to delivering, causing them to wake with no recollection of the birth.

A lady-in-waiting told Brandreth that it left the Queen with “post-natal side effects” after Prince Andrew’s arrival, so she opted for a natural birth with Prince Edward.

It was Her Majesty’s idea to keep 007 waiting at the London Olympics. Picture: YouTube

Sense of humour

The Queen’s public persona was one of utter grace and poise, but privately, she was said to be quite mischievous, with a “brilliant sense of humour”.

She is reportedly the one who came up with the idea to keep Daniel Craig waiting while she signed a letter in a memorable James Bond skit for the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

The monarch also had “great fun” appearing in a Platinum Jubilee sketch with Paddington Bear, famously pulling a marmalade sandwich from her bag.

However, she confided that she only felt comfortable taking part in such shenanigans after the death of the Queen Mother in 2002, who would have found it “a bit undignified”.

The late monarch allowed her mischievous side to show in later years. Picture: Getty

Technological aptitude

On top of her love for television, the Queen was said to be remarkably tech-savvy, using her own phone to text her grandchildren, though she refused to allow devices at the dinner table. However, Brandreth reports that the sovereign found mobile apps to be “puzzling”.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8 September 2022. Picture: AFP

End of an era

Brandreth is one of few authors to actually meet and talk with the Queen.

He kept meticulous records and his book is said to be a bold but sensitive account that tells the story of her remarkable life candidly, from a perspective unlike any other.

As her health deteriorated, he said that she was typically stoic.

“The truth is that Her Majesty always knew her remaining time was limited,” he wrote.

“She accepted this with all the good grace you’d expect.”

Originally published as New biography claims Queen secretly battled cancer in her final year