Royal biographer Robert Jobson also reported that the Queen was “terribly frail” in her last months, suffering from myeloma. After her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, celebrating 70 years on the throne, her health “deteriorated rapidly.” She struggled with her eyesight, often frustrated when she could no longer even pour tea without spilling.

“Well, That’s a Shame”

Now, Paul Burrell has shared his own memory of the Queen’s final chapter. Doctors, he said, had first given her a grim prognosis, suggesting she might not survive beyond Christmas 2021. But Elizabeth was determined to see her Platinum Jubilee.

Burrell recalled that when told she was dying, she responded with four simple, brave words: “Well, that’s a shame.” Shocked but resolute, she then asked her doctors: “Can you keep me alive for that?” — meaning the Jubilee.

According to Burrell, the Queen endured blood transfusions and gave up her favorite drinks — gin and tonics, gin and Dubonnets, and martinis — replacing them with apple juice, and occasionally tomato juice on Sundays, in order to extend her life. “They kept her alive to witness this landmark in her reign,” he said, “but she knew through it all that she was dying.”

A Monarch to Remember

Queen Elizabeth’s courage, even in the face of her final illness, showed the same quiet strength that defined her entire reign. She lived long enough to see the public celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, a milestone she dearly wished to reach.

She was, and remains, one of the most remarkable figures in modern history.