Why is your friend still working at aged 70? She should he entitled to the state retirement pension. Its not much but should be enough to keep her head above water. Also if she's been undergoing cancer treatment, she may she entitled to other benefits (attendance allowance) which could help her finanical situation and enable her to take time off her work.
The fact is there are real people, like me, who if they were unlucky to be diagnosed with cancer, will get six months full pay and six months half pay so could take time off their work. They are also real people like my friend who if they were unlucky to be diagnosed with cancer, they only get Statutory Sick Pay so they would need to carry on working for as long as possible.
None of this has anything to do with Royal Family! Its called life!
Now if you're advocating that getting rid of thr royal family will bring about utopia for us working Joe's, bring it on!!!