A new royal biography claims Prince Philip was diagnosed with an inoperable cancer before his death.
“Doctors had detected a shadow on his pancreas and had cut him right across his stomach,” historian Hugo Vickers wrote in his new book, Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, according to the Daily Mail.
Vickers claimed the pancreatic cancer diagnosis came eight years before Philip’s death. The late Duke of Edinburgh, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II, was allegedly diagnosed with the disease in 2013 and was discharged to recuperate at home.
Us Weekly has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
According to Vickers, it was thought that Philip “might not be seen in public again,” but he returned to public duties in August 2013. The royal officially retired in 2017 and spent much of his time living mainly at Wood Farm. Philip’s health deteriorated following his March 2021 heart surgery and one-month hospital stay.
Buckingham Palace announced Philip’s death two months before what would have been his 100th birthday.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” a statement from the family read in April 2021. “The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”
Vickers claimed Elizabeth, who died in 2022, was not present during Philip’s death, adding, “There had often been times in earlier days when she had asked the staff to let her know when Philip was leaving, only to be told, ‘His Royal Highness left 20 minutes ago.’”
The report about Philip’s alleged cancer battle comes after Princess Kate Middleton was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in 2024. She completed chemotherapy the following fall and declared in January 2025 that she was in remission.
“I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside [Prince] William and me as we have navigated everything. We couldn’t have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional. … It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery.”
Kate, 44, noted that she was still adjusting to her “new normal.”
King Charles, meanwhile, has been battling an unspecified type of cancer after being diagnosed in early 2024. He offered a rare update on his health in a December 2025 TV speech about cancer prevention where he reminded the public that “early diagnosis quite simply saves lives.”
“Indeed, today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders,’ my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,” he said. “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the 50 percent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”
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