When Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99, the world didn't just mourn a consort; it started asking a lot of questions. People wanted to know how a man who seemed indestructible for nearly a century finally reached his limit. Naturally, the "C" word came up. Did Prince Philip have cancer? It’s a question that has swirled through the tabloids and the internet for decades, fueled by every hospital visit and every pale photograph.
The short answer is: No official record states he had cancer.
His death certificate, signed by Sir Huw Thomas, the head of the Royal Medical Household, listed the cause of death simply as "old age." In the UK, this is a legitimate medical label for someone over 80 who has been in a gradual decline. No other diseases were listed as contributing factors.
But, as with anything involving the British Royal Family, the official line isn't always the only line people pay attention to.
The 2008 Prostate Cancer Scare
Back in 2008, a massive media storm erupted when the Evening Standard published a front-page story claiming Prince Philip had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was a huge deal. The Palace usually ignores rumors, but this time, they were furious.
Buckingham Palace took the incredibly rare step of filing a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission (PCC). They didn't just deny it; they called it a "serious breach of privacy" and flat-out "untrue."
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The paper eventually folded. They printed a full apology, admitting the story was false. This incident set a precedent for how the Palace would handle "did Prince Philip have cancer" queries for the next thirteen years: total, aggressive denial.
That Bone Marrow Cancer Claim
Things got complicated again in 2022. Gyles Brandreth, a close friend of the Duke and a well-known royal biographer, released a book called Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait. In it, he didn't actually talk about Philip having cancer. Instead, he claimed Queen Elizabeth II had a form of bone marrow cancer called myeloma.
Somehow, in the giant game of telephone that is the internet, this claim often gets mixed up. People see the headline "Royal Friend Claims Cancer" and associate it with the Duke of Edinburgh because of his many hospitalizations toward the end.
Honestly, it’s easy to see why people get confused. Prince Philip spent a lot of time in and out of the King Edward VII’s Hospital in his final years. He had:
- Abdominal surgery (2013)
- Hip replacement (2018)
- Treatment for a pre-existing heart condition (2021)
- Various bladder infections
None of these, however, are cancer.
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Why the Rumors Persisted
Why can't we just take "old age" at face value? Well, because the royals are notoriously private. For a long time, their health was treated like a state secret. When King George VI died, the public wasn't fully aware of the severity of his lung cancer until much later.
Because of that history, every time the Duke went to the hospital for a "precautionary measure," the public assumed the worst. You've probably seen the photos of him leaving the hospital in March 2021, just weeks before he died. He looked frail. He looked like a man who had been through a lot. But "a lot" at 99 years old usually just means your body is tired, not necessarily that it's being eaten away by a specific malignancy.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often mistake "pre-existing conditions" for cancer. In the Duke's case, his heart was the real issue. He had a stent put in back in 2011 after chest pains, and his final hospital stay involved a procedure for a heart condition.
If he had been secretly battling cancer for years, it's unlikely he would have lived to 99 while still maintaining a schedule of carriage driving and royal duties well into his 90s. Cancer treatments like chemo or radiation are incredibly hard on the body, especially an elderly one. Philip's decline was more of a slow fading out than a sharp drop-off.
The Reality of the Duke’s Health
Looking at the evidence, the idea of a secret cancer diagnosis doesn't hold much water. If the Royal Family was going to lie on a death certificate—which is a legal document—they would be taking a massive risk for very little gain.
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He was 99. "Old age" is a perfectly respectable and believable way to go.
Actionable Insights for Royal History Buffs
If you're researching royal health or want to avoid the misinformation trap, here’s how to stay grounded:
- Check the Source of the Leak: Most cancer rumors regarding Prince Philip trace back to the retracted 2008 Evening Standard article or the 2022 Brandreth book (which was actually about the Queen).
- Understand "Old Age" as a Diagnosis: In the UK, this isn't a "shorthand" for a cover-up. It's a specific clinical term used when there isn't one single pathology (like a tumor or a stroke) that caused the death.
- Differentiate Between the Royals: With King Charles III and the Princess of Wales being open about their cancer battles in 2024, it highlights how much the Palace’s communication strategy has changed. If Philip had it today, they might actually tell us. But back then? The "never complain, never explain" rule was still in full force.
Ultimately, Prince Philip's health was a testament to a very disciplined life and, frankly, some pretty good genes. He didn't need a hidden disease to explain his passing. He simply ran out of time.
To get the most accurate picture of royal history, always cross-reference "friend of a friend" claims with the official records released by the General Register Office. That’s where the legal truth lives.