Boris Johnson , former Prime Minister of the UK, has a new memoir titled Unleashed, in which he recalled his last meeting with Queen Elizabeth II before her death on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. Although not much was known about the late Her Highness’ health issues, Johnson writes in his book Elizabeth suffered a form of bone cancer before she peacefully passed away.
Daily Mail obtained an excerpt from Johnson’s book in which he wrote, “I had known for a year or more that she had a form of bone cancer, and her doctors were worried that at any time she could enter a sharp decline.” Additionally, the ex-PM said that Elizabeth’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young, told him, “She’s gone down quite a bit over the summer.”
The UK’s longest-serving monarch died at Balmoral after reigning for 70 years. During her last days, she spent her summer in her Scottish Highland estate; her son King Charles said, “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” as per the BBC.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
Although the British royal family didn’t disclose her reason for passing, royal reporter Robert Jobson echoed Johnson in his book, titled Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen , that towards her last days, Elizabeth felt ‘terribly frail’ from myeloma, a kind of bone marrow cancer.
After the Queen’s June 2022 Platinum Jubilee, her health began to “deteriorate rapidly [and] she struggled terribly with her eyesight and had low vision. She even had difficulty lifting a full teapot to pour into her cup.” Another source close to the late Queen added, “Her Majesty could hardly see and just didn’t have the strength. She would get terribly frustrated as she hated causing a mess, pouring it over the tray. She asked for a smaller pot and would get frustrated when the staff forgot and brought the big one.”
“I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee.” As the #PlatinumJubilee weekend draws to a close, Her Majesty has sent a thank you message to all those who have marked her 70 years as Queen. pic.twitter.com/eoZTcrTr6C
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 5, 2022
In the months leading to June, Buckingham Palace issued a statement, “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” per NBC News. But, according to Jobson, the monarch was determined to ‘put her people first [and] not to disappoint’ them. “Queen Elizabeth knew she was dying,” writes Jobson in his book, referring to her low energy levels and persistent pain.
Robert Hardman, a royal biographer, also wrote about Queen Elizabeth’s precious last moments as told to him by her private secretary in his book titled: The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy: “Very Peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have been aware of anything. No pain.”