Elizabeth’s method was very a lot in step with the royal default, particularly to stay stoic, dignified, and silent—in different phrases, to “by no means complain, by no means clarify,” The demise of her father, King George VI, on the age of 56, was a shock to the nation, regardless of having suffered from quite a lot of illnesses associated to having been a heavy smoker all through his life. In actual fact, the King’s lung most cancers analysis was even hidden from the monarch by his medical doctors, who euphemistically referred to his left lung as having “structural abnormalities” relatively than a carcinoma once they eliminated it.

“It appears baffling to us now that even George VI’s spouse Elizabeth wasn’t stored knowledgeable of his situation, and that there have been conversations in Parliament about how a lot he ought to be instructed of it,” shares Russell. “However on the time medical doctors usually withheld a critical most cancers analysis. It explains why the then Princess Elizabeth went to Kenya simply earlier than his demise—it got here as an enormous shock to all of them.”

When King George died on February 6, 1952, it was broadly assumed that the reason for demise was coronary thrombosis, as he had suffered from vascular illness, nevertheless it has since been speculated that his most cancers had unfold. His mom, Queen Mary, and his brother, the Duke of Windsor, each died of lung most cancers, a reality equally stored hidden till lengthy after the very fact.

After her demise on the age of 101 in 2002, it was revealed that the Queen Mom had battled most cancers privately, too—first, in 1966, when she had a tumor faraway from her colon, after which once more in 1984, when she had an operation to take away one from her breast. Her situation was stored hidden on each events. “Even right now the small print of her most cancers are unclear as a result of she wished to maintain it personal,” shares Russell.

Non-senior members of the royal household have usually been extra open about their well being battles, nonetheless. In 2002, Princess Michael of Kent revealed that she had been handled for pores and skin most cancers, whereas her husband, Prince Michael of Kent, confirmed in 2014 that he had been efficiently handled for prostate most cancers. Not too long ago, Sarah, Duchess of York confirmed she had undergone a mastectomy following breast most cancers, whereas firstly of this 12 months, she was efficiently handled for pores and skin most cancers.