Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson shared heartbreaking details about Queen Elizabeth II‘s final days, revealing, “I knew she had a form of cancer.”
Elizabeth II passed away in the fall of 2022. Two years later Johnson released a memoir titled On the Loose where he discussed the queen’s last moments and shared sorrowful insights about her death.
He disclosed that Elizabeth had fighting an incurable type of cancer for about a year before her passing. On September 6, 2022, just two days before her death, Johnson was invited to Balmoral, where he spent those final hours with the queen.
“It was two months after I stepped down as prime minister, but I had to stay on to manage things while the Conservative Party chose a new leader. It was a tough summer. The Downing Street task force tried hard to keep me busy, but officials seemed to forget about the dying monarch,” he reflected.
Johnson noticed that all the courtiers appeared very tired. Just before their meeting, the queen’s private secretary briefed him on what to expect, shared by The Daily Mail.
“I had known for over a year that she had a form of bone cancer, and doctors were worried about her rapid decline. She had deteriorated significantly over the summer,” Johnson recalled.
“Then a footman knocked and led me into Her Majesty’s drawing room. We sat opposite each other on teal sofas, and I immediately understood what Edward meant. She looked pale and more stooped, with dark bruises on her hands and wrists, likely from IVs or injections.”
Despite her illness, Boris stated that her mind remained sharp until the end. He noted that the queen was aware she was dying, which is why she went to Balmoral, a point also confirmed by her secretary during their conversation.
“The Queen radiated an ethic of service, patience, and leadership. You felt that, if needed, you would give your life for her. Sometimes, we need someone kind and wise, who stands above politics to represent the goodness in our country. She did that job brilliantly,” he concluded.
