Did Elizabeth suffer from illness in her final years? New revelations about the late Queen's health

The world bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II at age 96, after she had passed away from 'old age,' according to the published death certificate. It turns out that 'old age' may not have been the only cause of death. Was the monarch suffering beneath the surface from something a lot more sinister?

Thanks to a published excerpt of Gyles Brandreth’s new book 'Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait,' there may be some more information as to the real reason Queen Elizabeth II passed.

Gyles Brandreth, pictured here with King Charles, was a former member of parliament but had a close relationship with the royal family. He was a close friend of Elizabeth’s late husband, Prince Philip - who died in 2021.

Brandreth revealed that the Queen was in fact suffering from a ‘bone marrow cancer-related type of myeloma’ in her later years. The Queen's appearance had certainly changed, as can be seen in this photo alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in March 2022.

The author continued that this "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."

The Queen served until her last breath, attending royal visits as much as she could. Her last public event was the personal welcome of the new Prime Minister at the time, Liz Truss. But the general public did notice by then that her presence was diminishing.

The media, at the time, reported that the Queen had ‘mobility issues’ and found it trickier to get around. However, if the Queen actually had myeloma, she certainly put on a brave face. The illness causes severe lower back and pelvic pain.

"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," Brandreth wrote.

It is possible that the Queen received treatment, especially when we consider her determination to ‘go on’ after her husband’s death. The author goes on to reference the Queen’s incredible strength until her swift demise in the last year of her life.

"Until then, her energy had been little short of astonishing," Brandreth writes. "Over her final decade, she'd not only continued her work as monarch but actively engaged with modern life."

But it seems Queen Elizabeth knew her time was coming. Brandreth writes about Reverend Dr. Iain Greenshields' visit at Balmoral - just a weekend before she died: "The truth is that Her Majesty always knew that her remaining time was limited. She accepted this with all the grace you'd expect."

Only people closest to the monarch would have seen Elizabeth’s failing health so plainly. Dr. Douglas James Allan Glass was with the Queen for more than 30 years and said her death "was expected and we were quite aware of what was going to happen,” according to People magazine.

Of course, the Queen’s funeral plans, Operation London Bridge, had been prepared for some time and the Royal family were all posed and ready for this moment. All, except Harry and Meghan. They both became scrutinized even further in the press once the book revealed the late Queen’s health battle.

According to the Daily Express, royal reporter Kinsey Schofield told GB News: "I think that this [the book] gives real insight into the Queen's relationship with Harry and Meghan towards the end of her life… Now, did Harry and Meghan really decline their last invitation to spend time with her? If they knew that she was suffering from cancer, I would certainly hope not."

There is another side to be considered as well, however. As Ms. Schofield outlined, "perhaps, the family didn't think they could trust them with that information."

Gyles Brandreth’s book, released on December 8, 2022, might reveal more secrets in the palace during the final years of Queen Elizabeth’s magnificent reign. He certainly managed to put it on the agenda by pre-releasing his findings about the Queen's health.