Sneaky way royal spent their final hours after giving nurse the slip broke protocol

Sneaky way royal broke protocol and spent final hours after giving nurse the slipThe final hours of one senior royal's life saw a major breach of protocol take place, a new royal book has claimed, giving new insight into the last hours of Prince PhilipCommentsNewsEmma Mackenzie Features Writer09:12, 05 Apr 2026Updated 09:23, 05 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesThe Royal Family pictured during Trooping the Colour in 2015 with the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip(Image: DAILY MIRROR)Prince Philip spent his final hours in characteristically rebellious fashion, sneaking away from his nurses to sip a final beer.‌A new biography has revealed details of the Duke of Edinburgh’s last night, including the claim that he had been privately battling pancreatic cancer for eight years before his death in 2021.‌According to author Hugo Vickers, the 99-year-old Duke wasn't interested in a quiet night in bed, instead opting for one cheeky beer in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle‌It's unsurprising given that after he retired from official duties in 2017 at the grand old age of 96, the royal reportedly did very much as he pleased.Having spent decades in the limelight, supporting his wife the late Queen Elizabeth and the crown itself, he retired to Norfolk, where he took up residence on Wood Farm for several years.READ MORE: Prince Harry's true feelings on return to UK revealed after King's 'brutal snub'READ MORE: Fergie and Andrew's hidden battle as both prepare to sell each other outView 3 ImagesHarry and William following their grandfather's coffin(Image: AFP via Getty Images)‌But as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Philip returned to his wife's side at Windsor Castle where they were taken care of by a skeleton staff amid social distancing restrictions.According to Hugo Vickers in his new book Queen Elizabeth II, he snuck away from the nurse who was looking after him, and enjoyed a tipple in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle.The author wrote...