Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2021, and was given one of the most striking, personal, and moving funerals in royal history. It was a more intimate, family-centered farewell than that of Elizabeth II, who, as head of state, understandably had a different kind of service. It also produced the now-iconic image of the Queen sitting alone.
Prince Philip, born in 1921 on Corfu as Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark and later known as Philip Mountbatten, retired from public life in 2017 at age 96. He lived to nearly 100, continuing to enjoy carriage driving, a passion he took up after doctors told him his polo days were over. Now, a new book by biographer Hugo Vickers reveals an untold story: the Duke of Edinburgh battled cancer for eight years and sheds new light on how he spent his final night.
© Getty ImagesIn Queen Elizabeth II, a biography serialized exclusively in the Mail on Sunday, it is revealed that in June 2013, during an eleven-day hospital stay, the Queen’s husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He lived with the illness for eight years, and it remained a closely guarded secret until now. His death certificate lists “old age” as the cause of death.
© Getty Images“Doctors had detected a shadow on his pancreas, and had cut him right across his stomach… The verdict was inoperable pancreatic cancer,” Vickers writes.
The diagnosis came four years before he stepped back from official duties, in a retirement that carried strong symbolic weight. In his role as Captain General, the Duke of Edinburgh reviewed the troops in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, standing in the rain in a trench coat and bowler hat. It was a fitting sendoff and the beginning of his retirement.
© Justin Goff Photos/Getty ImagesVickers writes that rumors about Philip’s health in 2019 were so serious that contingency plans were reportedly considered to delay the general election. He adds that some believed the Duke was determined to hold on so as not to disrupt the vote.
The reference is to the snap election called by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson to break the Brexit deadlock, which had been stalled in Parliament for years and was approved by Queen Elizabeth II at the government’s request.
© UK Press via Getty ImagesA Beer and a Farewell Without Goodbye: His Legend Grows
His final night, like his sealed will, had long remained a mystery. Vickers, who has covered royal events since the 1970s, says the Duke of Edinburgh slipped past the nurses and made his way down a corridor at Windsor Castle with the help of a walker, intent on one thing: having a beer.
© Getty ImagesAccording to the biographer, Prince Philip drank his last beer in one of the most beautiful private sitting rooms at Windsor Castle, where he and Elizabeth II had relocated during the pandemic.
That detail only adds to his legend. Beer, a deeply British staple, was part of his personal identity. Prince Philip never pretended to prefer wine or refined cocktails. Even at official events or state dinners, if given the choice, he would order a beer.
Double Diamond, a traditional ale that was discontinued in the 1990s, was his favorite for many years. When a brewery later released a tribute version, he personally requested a sample. It has not yet been revealed which beer he chose for his final drink, but that detail may emerge in time.
© Getty Images“The next morning, he got up, took a bath, said he wasn’t feeling well, and quietly slipped away,” Vickers recounts.
For Elizabeth II, the loss was especially difficult. After 73 years of marriage, she was not present at his final moment. “As so often happened in life, he left without saying goodbye,” Vickers writes, reinforcing the enduring image of Prince Philip as a strong-willed, independent, and deeply practical man.
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