A royal author has revealed that Queen Elizabeth II was not by Prince Philip’s bedside when he passed away on April 9, 2021. According to Gyles Brandreth, a former MP and close acquaintance of the royal couple, the late Queen did not reach her husband in time before he died. Brandreth, who knew the couple for decades through their shared work with the National Playing Fields Association, makes this claim in his book, “Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait,” published after the Queen’s death.
Brandreth recounts that on the morning of his death, Prince Philip was in a hospital bed set up in his dressing room at Windsor Castle. The Duke of Edinburgh reportedly felt faint after returning from the bathroom, and before he could be helped back into bed, he passed away. At the time, the Queen had not yet been called and was still resting. It was only after a doctor had arrived and pronounced Prince Philip dead that the Queen was informed.
The death of Prince Philip came after the couple had spent the Covid lockdowns together at Windsor Castle, where they reportedly took daily walks and shared meals, enjoying each other’s company in their final months together. Despite their closeness, Brandreth suggests that the Queen did not manage to be with her husband at the exact moment of his death.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral was a scaled-back affair due to Covid-19 restrictions, with only 30 guests in attendance, including Prince Harry, who had recently given a controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey. The image of Queen Elizabeth sitting alone at Prince Philip’s funeral, adhering to social distancing rules, became a poignant symbol of her personal loss and dedication to duty.
Gyles Brandreth’s insights into the royal couple provide a glimpse into the private lives of two of the most well-known figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. His observations on the Queen’s relationship with Prince Philip reflect both the deep personal bond they shared over nearly 74 years of marriage and the inevitable limitations imposed by their public roles.
