So now we know why the Queen died

I transcribed BMD for a county, 2 come to mind, 19th C

1. Had trouble breathing.

2. A clod of earth fell on his head.

I didn’t like the Queen’s death certificate shown on tv.

Am I right in thinking that in England the Royal Family's death certificates can be held back. So it's only because she died in Scotland that we are seeing it?

My mother, at 92, had ‘old age’ and ‘osteoporosis’ on her death certificate.

She was, quite simply, worn out.

I found the old age reason very comforting.

I know of two women in their 90s who hadn’t been at all ill, who just died in their sleep, so I dare say those were cases of ‘old age’.
A brilliant way to go, IMO, albeit a nasty shock for the relatives who wondered why they weren’t answering the phone/door, and found them.

Pittcity, my mother died at 97, with advanced dementia. IIRC the death certificate said Alz./old age.

Joseanne

Am I right in thinking that in England the Royal Family's death certificates can be held back. So it's only because she died in Scotland that we are seeing it?

All birth, marriage and death certificates are public records in England; Scotland and Wales.

Anyone can apply and receive Royal Family certificates

Thanks.

If the Queen's death certificate is a matter of public record then there is no point in hiding it away. It saves a lot of hassle if they just publish it and let everyone see it.

I believe the 'old age' diagnosis was because that is enough for us to know. Maybe the family know more but we don't need to, it's none of our business.

Everyone dies OF something a heart attack if old the heart is weak, or diseased. a stroke if the arteries are weakened etc etc you die OF something how ever old you are …. Old age isn’t an illness or a disease it’s a description of a time of life
The queen obviously had something suddenly happen that caused her demise but they don’t wish to divulge it

Interesting that her parents are shown as "deceased", but not so her husband?

She won't have had a post mortem. Old age is on many death certificates as cause of death in the elderly

Nothing unusual to give a cause of death as 'old age' . Many very elderly people when they go, just drift down and then shut their eyes and never open them again and 'died of old age' is quite a commonly given as the cause of death in such cases.

Why cannot people just accept things at face value when someone is given a perfectly normal cause of death at the age they died at.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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
Perhaps not ‘ extreme recklessness’ though?

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.