Queen Elizabeth II had a ‘form of bone cancer’ before she died, claims former PM Boris Johnson in memoir
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from a form of bone cancer before she breathed her last on September 8, 2022.
Johnson revealed this in his upcoming memoir ‘Unleashed' where he mentioned his meeting with the late monarch, two days before her death, as reported by OK! Magazine.
Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96, marking an end to her reign of 70 years as monarch.
At the time, the 60-year-old politician was reportedly informed by the Queen’s private secretary, Edward Young, about her deteriorating health.
Boris Johnson remembers Queen Elizabeth II's smile despite ill health
Boris Johnson wrote in his memoir 'Unleashed', “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.”
Explaining further, Johnson reportedly shared, “She seemed pale and more stooped, and she had dark bruising on her hands and wrists, probably from drips or injections.
“But her mind – as Edward 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.
'Unleashed' will be released in the UK on October 10 and in the US on October 22.
Boris Johnson reveals advice he got from Queen Elizabeth II
Boris Johnson, former Leader of the Conservative Party, also reportedly disclosed in his book that he resigned during his final meeting with Queen Elizabeth II.
He noted that the monarch “had known all summer that she was going, but was determined to hang on and do her last duty,” and to watch over the "peaceful and orderly transition" of power from him to his successor, Liz Truss.
Johnson also reportedly mentioned the last piece of advice he got from the queen.
He added, “'There’s no point in bitterness', she said, and amen to that. If everyone in politics – and life – could see that as clearly as she did, the world would be a much, much happier place.”
Before Johnson, royal author Gyles Brandreth in his book ‘Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait’ had claimed that the queen was suffering from bone cancer.
Queen Elizabeth II's death
However, the British royal family has not yet directly confirmed the diagnosis.
Even after Queen Elizabeth's death, the official statement just said, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”
Also, King Charles III’s statement read, “The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother.”
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held,” he added.
