Queen Elizabeth Beat Bone Marrow Cancer before Her Death, New Book Claims

According to a biography about the late British monarch, Queen Elizabeth suffered from painful cancer before her death.

Gyles Brandreth, an English broadcaster, author and politician, has written a new book entitled “Elizabeth. An Intimate Portrait”. It details the final years of Queen Elizabeth. He died Sept. 8, at the age of 96, after having served more than 70 years on thrones.

An extract from the biography published by the Daily Mail shows that Brandreth, who is reportedly a close friend to Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Phillip, stated that King Charles’ mother knew that her time was short because of bone marrow cancer. International Business Times was unable to independently verify the claims in the book.

“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,” Brandreth wrote in the book. Myeloma’s most common symptom is bone pain, particularly in the lower back and pelvis. Multiple myeloma can also affect the elderly.

Brandreth noted that “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.”

It is unknown if the Queen was given steroids in order to get through her final days, or if her bruised hands from her last photographs taken with Liz Truss (former British Prime Minister) may have contributed to her illness.

Officially, Queen Elizabeth’s cause for death was “old age” on her death certificate.

Brandreth claimed that he spoke to the people with whom the Queen spent her last days. She was reportedly seated at dinner with Right Reverend Dr. Iain Greenshields while she was in Scotland’s Balmoral estate. According to the book, they discussed her childhood, horses and church affairs as well as their sadness about the events in Ukraine.

Greenshields claimed that the Queen was “in phenomenal form” and “was so lively and so engaging” when she last saw her.

Queen Elizabeth, two days before her passing, met one her favourite racehorse trainers. They presented an honor to her communications secretary and shared time with their 14th and 15th British prime Ministers, Brandreth wrote.

Brandreth reports that Boris Johnson said about the Queen, “She could have been kinder. More sympathetic or personally encouraging.” He also added that she was full “characteristic humor” and “wisdom.”

The photo of Queen Elizabeth and then-new Prime Minister Truss on Sept. 7 made headlines. Royal fans and social media users said the 96-year old monarch looked weak. Brandreth said that while the dark bruise on her right hand attracted attention, she appeared “alert” and “very much alive”.

Brandreth wrote, despite all the activities that kept Queen busy leading up to her last day, that Her Majesty “knew her remaining time was short” and that she “accepted it with all the grace that you’d expect.”

“Her faith was everything to me. Greenshields said that she told her author that she had no regrets.

“Elizabeth: A Intimate Portrait”, will hit shelves Dec. 8.