Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has generated controversy with the shocking revelations in his memoir “Unleashed.”
In its pages, Johnson addresses various aspects of his life and governmental administration, including a surprising comment about his interest in “invading” Holland.
However, what has caught the attention of many is his confession about the health of the late Queen Elizabeth II, revealing that the mother of King Charles III suffered from bone cancer.
Queen Elizabeth had bone cancer
In this book, which will be published on October 10 in the United Kingdom, Johnson describes the physical deterioration of the Queen during her last official meeting, held in Balmoral, Scotland, just two days before her death.
According to the former prime minister’s account, he had been aware for more than a year about the queen’s illness, who was suffering from a form of bone cancer, raising concerns among her doctors about the possibility of a rapid deterioration in her health.
“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,” Johnson writes in Unleashed.
During their meeting in September 2022, the monarch’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young, warned Johnson that the queen had “declined quite a bit over the summer.”
This meeting was significant, as it marked the last official meeting between Johnson and Elizabeth II, just before the former prime minister was succeeded by Liz Truss, who held the office for a brief period.
In the excerpt from “Unleashed,” Johnson expresses his admiration and respect for the queen, noting that, despite her obvious physical deterioration, she remained lucid and in good spirits.
The former prime minister recalls how, despite her frailty, the queen’s mind remained “completely intact.”
He writes: “She seemed pale and more stooped, and she had dark bruising on her hands and wrists, probably from drips or injections.” Despite her physical frailty, Johnson notes that the Queen’s mind remained “completely unimpaired by her illness.”
Johnson also mentions that, during their conversation, the queen was still able to show her characteristic smile, which lightened the mood.
In addition, Johnson reveals that the Queen was aware of her impending demise, but was determined to fulfill her last duty: to oversee the peaceful and orderly transition between governments.
He writes: “As Edward Young explained to me later, she had known all summer that she was going, but was determined to hang on and do her last duty: to oversee the peaceful and orderly transition from one government to the next.”
Cause of Queen Elizabeth II’s death
This revelation is not the first time Queen Elizabeth II’s cancer has been mentioned; royal historian Gyles Brandreth had previously claimed that the monarch suffered from myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer.
However, the queen’s death certificate, released weeks after her death, stated that the cause of her death was “old age.”
On September 8, 2022, Buckingham Palace had announced that the queen’s doctors were “concerned” about her health, and hours later her death was confirmed.
For Boris Johnson, the weekly audiences with the queen during his tenure as prime minister were “more than a privilege,” reflecting the deep respect he felt for the monarchy and the figure of Elizabeth II.
“It was a balm, a form of free psychotherapy. It was like being at school and being taken out to tea by a much-loved grandmother,” he writes.
Johnson’s revelations have sparked intense debate about the privacy of the queen’s life and the role of political leaders in the recent history of the United Kingdom.