So now we know why the Queen died

Not sure why it matters and in fact we still don’t
it just said old age!! Usually it states a organ failure or heart failure etc
Northing was given away if you think about it.
Quite rightly too, it’s not our business..

Casdon

Why do you care though Fleurpepper, it makes no difference to anything? .

Exactly!

My mother died aged 96 . She was in age related heart failure and her death certificate stated death due to“old age and heart failure” My DH aged 73 death certificate had numerous problems noted which I thought strange as he died of pancreatic and liver cancer. I wonder if it is required to note everything that is on the medical records .

red1

it is the royal family, do you really think they will ever tell their subjects the truth?

She was 96 and obviously very frail!

What on earth do you think the “truth” might be???

it is the royal family, do you really think they will ever tell their subjects the truth?

My grandmother died aged nearly 93 and her death certificate stated 'old age'
The doctor verbally stated her body had simply had enough.

My Grandad died in a hospice after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, on his death cert it listed that then Pneumonia, heart failire, ascities etc etc, my Mother died in the same hospice 7 years later of primary peritoneal cancer, her death certificate simply stated that, even though in fact she had severe ascities, complete bowel blockage etc, i actually preferred the single title as a sort of full stop and a complete blame on cancer.
I assume the RF will also prefer just the single cause.

I do wonder if any Dr has been brave or witty enough to simply put ‘stopped breathing’ ha!
Happy Saturday everyone x

It's not uncommon for this to be put on a death certificate. My mother died three weeks into the first pandemic lockdown in 2020. Her death certificate said she died of old age. Well, she was 95. It seemed reasonable.
I found it very comforting, actually, to feel that she'd just turned up her toes. It's certainly what it felt like as I sat by her side.

I think we’re reluctant to accept “old age” as a cause of death because we look at ourselves and think “I’m doing all right. Nothing life threatening wrong with me at the moment so I won’t die yet”.

The truth is, when you get to old age, you can die between ne moment and the next. Walking down the street, asleep in your bed, or like my father, drinking your coffee.

The body just says, it’s time.

I don't believe it was old age. You don't die of mobility problems and the family would not have been summoned to her bedside in haste. But it's none of my business and if it comforts the family or anyone else, so be it.

We die of old age. If we are lucky.

This 100%. In the end we all die because our heart stops beating and oxygen fails to reach the lungs and brain. The heart stopping can be for a variety of reasons but surely wear and tear ie worn out, is enough and that is caused by old age.

Had family in the funeral business years ago. Dying on the toilet happens more often than most would suspect. Fortunately for the vast majority who end this way it doesn't get publicised. I don't know the veracity of the Elvis story, but of course it is widely quoted, so yes 'known'.

Doodledog We all know that Elvis died eating a burger on the toilet, and (to me) that is too much information. How undignified for him, and for his loved ones.

I agree that is too much information and not appropriate for the public to know....but is it even true? I rarely believe anything I read unless it is verified. Stories get passed round with sometimes no real evidence they are true. So I'd say no, we don't all know this. We have heard it said, that's all.

How reluctant we are to accept that we die of old age.

Like Monica says the vital organs just cease to function. Even a post-mortem examining all those organs would fail to reach a conclusion.

We die of old age. If we are lucky.

Bluebelle dying of old age isn't just the heart gradually stopping beating, it is the internal organs gradually ceasing to function and the brain winding down, the heart doesn't have to be weakened, it is just everything gradually slowing down and stopping - in other words, dying of old age, or possibly just ceasing to live.

I suppose I just like facts to be facts if it said died of weakened heart through old age that makes sense to me but old age itself isn’t a killer it must be something due to old age
I m not really that bothered she s gone and as others have said doesn’t really make any difference to us and not really our business anyway It was an expected death and sounds as if she had a peaceful slipping away with doctors around to make sure she felt no pain and her two eldest children by her bedside to hold her hand wonderful privileged life and a good death

biglouis

Rather ironic that Dr Harold Shipman (who is believed to have killed over 200 people) often put "old age" on the death certificates of his patients. In most cases they were people much younger than the queen with most of them leading active lives. Yet the verdict "old age" was never questioned until the alarm was raised and his activities became public knowledge. When you think that if someone dies age 96 their heart has been beating for all that time. Organs do, in time, wear out!

I was just going to say that I thought that putting 'old age' as a cause of death had been outlawed because of Shipman.

As for making causes of public, I don't like it, although I understand the reasons why it happens. We all know that Elvis died eating a burger on the toilet, and (to me) that is too much information. How undignified for him, and for his loved ones. I have read things in the media about people's deaths with information that was, IMO unnecessary - again for reasons of dignity.

Similarly, if someone dies of a stigmatised illness (eg syphilis or alcoholism) why should the neighbours have to know? We protect health records in life, why not in death? Unless there is good reason to publicise cause of death I would prefer it to remain private, although I can see that secrecy might protect people in cases of neglect or malpractice. 'Natural Causes', or 'Old Age' should usually be enough.

Oh I dont know. If I get to my nineties and can manage extreme recklessness I will be impressed.

Joseanne
Perhaps not ‘ extreme recklessness’ though?

Prentice

Joseanne

The Queen Mother has the cause as Extreme Old Age. Is that after 100 years?

At 81 now, I am hoping for ‘extreme old age’ to be on my own death certificate.

I'm about 20 years younger, but if I die tomorrow I would like it to be recorded extreme something. ie extraordinary!

Joseanne

The Queen Mother has the cause as Extreme Old Age. Is that after 100 years?

At 81 now, I am hoping for ‘extreme old age’ to be on my own death certificate.

Personally I don’t see that it’s any of our business. In any case, ‘old age’ is surely a good enough reason for someone of 96 who was evidently very frail but still able to carry out official duties only 2 days beforehand.

The Queen Mother has the cause as Extreme Old Age. Is that after 100 years?

As regards the heart, I remember hearing about someone’s relative of 90 odd who had some sort of heart problem. A pacemaker was a possibility, so relatives asked the medics what would happen if s/he didn’t have it - relative also had dementia.
Answer, the heart would probably just quietly give up in their sleep.
They went ahead with the pacemaker anyway.

I agree BlueBelle, save that maybe sometimes the heart just stops beating because it’s simply worn out, not through disease or a heart attack but through ageing of the heart. I don’t know, just surmising. That would be ‘old age’, but if the deceased hadn’t been under the care of a doctor I imagine a postmortem might be required and perhaps an inquest. I don’t think this was the case with HM but it’s private family business. My thought at the time was possibly a stroke.