The late Queen Elizabeth II was always calm and composed, despite any challenges she faced during her 70-year reign. Yet there was one tragic loss she was forced to keep secret during her royal reign…
Heartbreaking loss
© Getty ImagesAuthor Gyles Brandreth, her old friend, opened up about details in the Queen's life in his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, revealing a tragic loss she once experienced.
Speaking on HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast in April 2026, he revealed that witnesses and friends of the Queen told him she once had a miscarriage.
He explains that he references the loss "in passing" in his book by quoting witnesses. "I decided I am telling my story of Elizabeth II, so I’ll put it all in," he told us.
In a passage in the book, he compares the late Queen to her ancestor, Queen Victoria. He writes: "Elizabeth had four children and, so her childhood friend Sonia Berry told me, one miscarriage. Victoria, despite the discomforts and indignities of childbirth, had nine children." Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, had four children: the now King Charles, Princess Anne, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and Prince Edward. It's not known when the Queen experienced the pregnancy loss.
A 'fascinating marriage'
© Getty ImagesDuring the discussion, Gyles also opened up about the Queen's 74-year marriage with Prince Philip, calling their relationship "fascinating".
He says: "To live with the same person for so long and to get along so well is extraordinary. They were an amazing double act.
"And I was very pleased that one of her friends who had been at the wedding actually wrote to me when they'd read the book and said, 'I think you're the first person to get them right.' They had this understanding because nobody could treat her normally."
