Earlier this week (8 September 2025) marked the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death. Now, a former Palace butler has revealed Her Majesty's ever-stoic four word response to finding out she was terminally unwell the year prior to her passing.
According to Paul Burrell, a butler who previously worked for the late Princess Diana (and who has proven to be a controversial figure over the years), when the Queen heard she was nearing the end of her life, her main focus was on surviving long enough to see her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
Burrell claims, via The Mirror, that Elizabeth initially responded with four simple words upon hearing that she had a form of bone cancer. "Well, that's a shame."
He then adds that Her Royal Highness then went on to say, "Next year is my Platinum Jubilee year and I'd quite like to have seen that. Can you keep me alive for that?"
The Platinum Jubilee celebrations took place in June 2022, just a few months before the Queen ultimately died, so ultimately one of her final wishes was granted.
A final image of the Queen was released just two days before she died; it showed the monarch shaking hands with the newly appointed Prime Minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral Castle.
During the meeting, Her Majesty broke with the tradition of greeting a new Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace, citing mobility issues that prevented her from travelling.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
