Royal biographer reveals the secret behind Prince Philip's long-standing illness — Daily Mail
The Duke of Edinburgh has been bravely battling a terminal illness for some time, a condition that had not previously been officially disclosed.
This is reported by the Daily Mail.
Royal biographer Hugo Vickers revealed in his new book that Prince Philip had been living with pancreatic cancer for nearly eight years.
Back in 2013, doctors diagnosed the Queen’s husband with “inoperable cancer.”
Despite this grim diagnosis, the Duke managed to live with the disease much longer than experts predicted, passing away just two months before his 100th birthday.
Interestingly, the official death certificate listed only “old age” as the cause of death.
This discrepancy is explained by Buckingham Palace’s traditional discretion regarding the health of members of the royal family and the desire to preserve the Duke’s privacy.
Hugo Vickers also shared poignant details of Prince Philip’s final evening.
That night, the Duke of Edinburgh, displaying remarkable fortitude, managed to slip away from the nurses’ supervision to enjoy his familiar earthly pleasures one last time.
He walked on his own through the corridors of Windsor Castle to the Oak Room, where he poured himself a glass of beer. It was there, alone and in his familiar surroundings, that the prince drank his final drink, demonstrating his character until the very last moment.
His death came as a surprise to his loved ones, and Queen Elizabeth II was not by his side at that moment.
The biographer notes that the monarch was deeply saddened by the fact that she did not have time to say her final words of farewell to her husband after 73 years of married life.
“As often happens in life, he left without saying goodbye,” Hugo Vickers noted in his article.
As a reminder, London plans to erect a monument to Prince Philip.
Charles III is also preparing for a visit to the United States.
