Prince Philip secretly 'lived with pancreatic cancer' for eight years before his death

Prince Philip was diagnosed with "inoperable pancreatic cancer" and lived for eight years with the disease.

Doctors told the Duke of Edinburgh of the cancer in June, 2013, after he had surgery at a London hospital at the age of 91, according to a new book.

Royal historian Hugo Vickers writes that after the diagnosis, "there was a view that [Philip] might not be seen in public again" but that "the duke outwitted the pessimists".

Despite his diagnosis, Prince Philip carried out public duties until 2017 when he was 96.

The late monarch was not there when her husband eventually died, Vickers claims in the book Queen Elizabeth II.

The duke died on April 9, 2021, at Windsor Castle two months before his 100th birthday.

Vickers claims Philip did not want to reach his centenary because he "disliked the fuss attendant at such events".

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The duke's final days were spent inside the castle but his wife was away when he passed.

Vickers writes: "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.

"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'."

Queen Elizabeth II was said to be "absolutely furious that, as so often in life, he left without saying goodbye".

Philip's cause of death was listed as "old age" on his death certificate.

His funeral was held during coronavirus pandemic lockdowns and Queen Elizabeth was pictured sitting alone, wearing a face mask, inside St George's Chapel.

She died a year later, on September 8 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Their 73-year marriage was the longest ever in British royal history, making Prince Philip the longest-serving royal consort.

The late Queen was also believed to have been suffering cancer at the time of her death.

In his 2024 memoir Unleashed former British prime minister Boris Johnson said Elizabeth II had bone cancer.

Johnson 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."

During his final meeting with her at Balmoral, Johnson described the queen as being "pale and more stooped, and she had dark ­bruising on her hands and wrists, probably from drips or injections".

"But her mind – as [her private secretary Edward Young] had also said – was completely ­unimpaired by her illness, and from time to time in our ­conversation she still flashed that great white smile in its sudden mood-lifting beauty."

Johnson's claims followed those of Gyles Brandreth, a friend of the late monarch's, who wrote about her cancer diagnosis in 2022.

The queen's former riding companion, Terry Pendry, later spoke about Her late Majesty's deteriorating health.

Speaking to Brandreth on his podcast in 2024, Pendry said he knew that the Queen was sick because "she was getting lighter and lighter and frailer and frailer".

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