Royal biographer hints at Queen's cause of death
<p dir="ltr">A royal expert claims Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from a “relatively painless” but “invariably fatal” condition before announcing her death 90 minutes before Buckingham Palace.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a video uploaded to YouTube at 5pm local time (4am NZST), controversial royal biographer Lady Colin Campbell claimed the Queen had passed away at 2.37pm (1.37am NZST).</p>
<p dir="ltr">Buckingham Palace announced the monarch’s passing 90 minutes later, at around 6.30pm UK time.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Her announcement came at the end of a lengthy clip where the royal expert spoke about a condition the Queen was allegedly suffering from.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Lady Campbell, who is most well-known for her books about Princess Diana and the Queen Mother, claimed that Her Majesty was suffering from a serious bone condition, though she wouldn’t reveal “the word that accurately conveys her diagnosis” out of respect for her “dignity and privacy”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“If she wants to reveal that word, or her advisors wish to reveal it, that is up to them. I don’t think one needs to use the word to get across the point that I think most people will be able to pick up, that this is a really serious situation,” Lady Campbell said in the video, prior to announcing the monarch’s passing.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The condition has been induced, in part, according to people who know her well, has been created by the tremendous stress to which she has been subjected over the last three years.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Palace has not confirmed the Queen’s cause of death.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Can you imagine an older woman, as her life is winding down, and she is hoping to enjoy the last few years of her life in good health being bombarded by the tremendous abuse to which she and the monarchy have been subjected,” Lady Campbell said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">She went on to say she had tried to warn people that the Queen was “far more ill than they thought she was” over the past few months.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I have on several occasions in the last few weeks, if not months, made the point that she had been affected to her bones. I used that repeatedly to get across the point that what she was suffering from was a malady of the bones,” she continued.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“There are two maladies of the bones, one is more painful than the other. Fortunately the Queen’s malady, although it falls in the same category and condition of the more painful one, has been the less painful one.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It has been restrictive, and I will not go into the medical treatments she has been receiving. I have previously indicated that her bruising was due to cannulas and I have left it at that.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">After the video cuts away, Lady Campell continued filming, claiming she had found out about the Queen’s passing.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Having just made this video it is with great sadness that I have to inform you that events have yet again overtaken one’s plans, and I am reliably informed that the Queen died at 14.37pm this afternoon,” she said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“And that the reason why the announcement has not been made so far is that they are waiting for Harry and Meghan to arrive at Balmoral, after which the announcement will be made.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Buckingham Palace went on to announce the news of Her Majesty’s passing before Harry arrived at Balmoral, while Meghan remained in London.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I think we should be very grateful for having had such a wonderful monarch,” Lady Campbell continued.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“And I think we can be also grateful for the fact that her death was relatively painless. Bone cancer is not fun.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“But she was fortunate enough to have the lesser of the forms of bone cancer, and she kept her spirits and her vitality to practically the end.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“And now, I would say, my sympathies to all her loved ones, all her family, and really, all her subjects many of whom love her.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">However, the <em><a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/world/queen-elizabeths-cause-of-death-may-never-be-released/news-story/47ceca6491d9ef44b1d9112061674cdb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courier Mail</a></em> reported that medical experts said frailty and “geriatric syndrome” - a term describing a group of common health conditions older people experience that don’t fit in distinct disease categories - could have been contributors to her passing.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Her symptoms reportedly met five of seven criteria used by Britain’s NHS to classify people as frail, including being over 85, having ongoing health conditions, requiring regular help, being forced to cancel activities and using a walking stick.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">In the hours before her death, a statement from Buckingham Palace said doctors were “concerned” for the Queen’s health and that she was “comfortable” at Balmoral.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Lady Colin Campbell (YouTube)</em></p>
