Lady Colin Campbell suggested the Queen’s death was ‘relatively painless’
A controversial royal biographer announced the Queen’s death more than an hour before it was officially revealed and has claimed she died of bone cancer.
Lady Colin Campbell, who has written seven books about the royal family including biographies of the Princess of Wales and the Queen Mother, said she had long known about the Queen’s condition.
The palace has only said that the Queen died peacefully Thursday afternoon, and has not commented on any underlying health issues she was suffering from. News of the Queen’s death was announced around 6.30pm.
However, Campbell, also known as Lady C, posted a 17-minute video to her YouTube channel from her home in Sussex detailing the passing of Elizabeth II at 5pm, an hour and a half earlier.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
The author went into detail about the Queen’s condition being the less painful of two types of bone cancers, and claimed people should be “grateful” that her death was “relatively painless.”
In the video, that has been watched more than 230,000 times, Campbell claimed that the Queen died at 2.37pm on Thursday having been “suffering from a serious and invariably fatal condition of the bones”.
Campbell said she did not want to get into specifics, saying: “I don’t want to use the word that accurately conveys the medical diagnosis, out of deference to Her Majesty’s dignity and privacy.”
She added: “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.
“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.
“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.”
Campbell went on to say that she had tried to “warn people that the Queen was far more ill than they thought she was”.
“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,” Campbell explained.
“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.
“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.”
Campbell added that “good taste” requires her not to get into too much detail, but added: “However, she is fortunate, in that she has been suffering from the less painful of the two bone conditions.
“I am reliably informed by people who have been with her that she has been in very good spirits. Yes, she has known what was wrong with her, what was coming, but she has been in good spirits.
“Because the Queen is a woman of great spirit and great faith.
“She has taken being the supreme governor of the Church of England seriously, she is a true Christian.
“And I think we are very fortunate to have had her as our Queen, and I implore all of you to pray for her.
“Pray for her comfort, pray for her life. And let us also thank God for her life, because we have been to a large extent the beneficiaries of it.”
Campbell ended her post by saying that she was “sure this is very unwelcome news, and I regret that I have had to jump the gun because of the decline in the Queen’s condition”.
“But I thought it was necessary to keep you apprised of the realities of the situation, and remember prayers, prayers, let’s pray.”
After the video cuts away, Campbell returns in front of the camera in the same position and clothing with another announcement.
She said: “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.
“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.
“I think we should be very grateful for having had such a wonderful monarch. And I think we can be also grateful for the fact that her death was relatively painless – bone cancer is not fun.
“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. “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.”
At it turned out Prince Harry travelled alone to Balmoral and did not arrive until well after the official announcement was made.
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