Boris Johnson, the ex-PM, stirred up some trouble by saying in his new book that Queen Elizabeth II had bone cancer before she passed.
Johnson’s book, which is out on October 10 and has been serialized in the Daily Mail this week, tells the story of the queen’s last days in Balmoral, Scotland.
Johnson quit right before Elizabeth II died in September 2022, and people have been guessing how she died ever since.
“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,” he wrote.
Other prime ministers have also written about their experiences with the late Queen in an autobiography.
But Johnson’s account is the first hint from a top politician about what might have killed the Queen. Her death certificate says “old age.”
Buckingham Palace doesn’t talk about books on the royal family, so they haven’t said anything about Johnson’s claims.
Johnson, who was prime minister from 2019 to 2022, remembers going to Balmoral to meet the royals and step down.
“She seemed pale and more stooped, and she had dark bruising on her hands and wrists, probably from drips or injections,” he wrote.
“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.”
“She radiated such an ethic of service, patience and leadership that you really felt you would, if necessary, die for her,” he continued.
“You need someone kind and wise, and above politics, to personify what is good about our country. She did that job brilliantly.”