The Queen died of ‘old age’, Her Majesty’s newly-published death certificate revealed today.
The 96-year-old monarch died at Balmoral Castle on Thursday September 8 at 3.10pm – more than three hours before the public was informed.
The death certificate, released by National Records of Scotland, cites her as dying of ‘old age’. The informant of her death was the Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth II’s daughter Princess Anne.
The time of death on the historic document, which gives the monarch’s occupation as ‘Her Majesty The Queen’, means that only King Charles and his only sister were by their mother’s side when she died in Aberdeenshire three weeks ago today.
Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie Countess of Wessex, were in the air when the Queen passed away. They had been racing to Balmoral took off from RAF Northolt in South Ruislip, west London, at 2.39pm, landing an hour later.
Prince Harry was not on the plane with his brother and had to make his own journey to Scotland on a jet from Luton, after his grandmother had died. He landed landed in Aberdeen at 6.46pm, 16 minutes after the Palace made its announcement.
Douglas James Allan Glass is noted as the certifying registered medical practitioner. Dr Glass is a GP from the Highlands village of Aboyne, around 20 miles from Balmoral.
Revealed: The Queen’s death certificate has been released and says her cause of death was ‘old age’
The last photo taken of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – two days before she died when she met Liz Truss and asked her to form a government
What does it REALLY mean to die of ‘old age’? Is it a common cause of death?
It’s common to hear that someone has died of ‘old age’ – but official advice states that doctors should avoid only using ‘old age’ on death certificates.
The description is only accepted if the patient is over 80 and if the doctor has personally cared for the patient for a long period, observing a gradual decline.
It also can only be used if doctors are unaware of any identifiable disease or injury that contributed to the death.
The phrase refers to the ‘lifetime sum total of injury’ to the body’s tissues and organs, doctors say.
However, other experts argue that you can’t truly die of old age. Instead, they claim age simply makes someone more susceptible to heart or kidney disease, two illnesses that can kill.
Old age was the only cause of death listed, with no other contributing factors. It was the same cause of death as on her husband Prince Philip’s death certificate.
Paul Lowe, the Registrar General for Scotland, confirmed that the Queen’s death was registered in Aberdeenshire on September 16 2022.
When paying tribute to her mother the Queen, the Princess Royal revealed she was with the head of state in her last moments.
Anne, who accompanied her mother’s coffin as it travelled from Balmoral to London, via Edinburgh, said: ‘I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life.’
The princess is named as the ‘informant’ on the document and would have notified the local registrar of her mother’s death.
The Queen was laid to rest on September 19, following 70 years of service, after family, friends and the nation said a fond farewell to the late monarch.
For the woman who was never meant to be sovereign, the Queen fulfilled her pledge to serve nation and Commonwealth and came to earn the respect of many – from world leaders to the public.
Her grieving family walked behind her coffin throughout the long day of her funeral and burial, a simple but public tribute, and the emotion was clear to see on the face of King Charles III who travelled to Scotland soon afterwards where he has remained with his Queen Consort.
Queen Elizabeth II: A timeline of how her death was announced and how her family raced to be by her side
Thursday, September 8
12pm: Liz Truss is informed in the Commons that the Queen is ill
12.35pm: A statement is released by Buckingham Palace, announcing that the Queen is under medical supervision at Balmoral after doctors became ‘concerned for her health’. A Palace spokesperson said: ‘Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.’
12.47pm: A statement is released by Clarence House, confirming that Prince Charles and his wife Camilla would travel to Balmoral. It said: ‘The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have travelled to Balmoral’.
12.48pm: A minute later, Kensington Palace announces that Price William will be travelling to Balmoral. The statement read: ‘The Duke of Cambridge is also travelling to Balmoral.’
1.55pm: A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirms that the couple will be ‘travelling to Scotland’. While the initial statement mentioned ‘Scotland’, it did not make directly make mention of Balmoral. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were due to attend the WellChild Awards ceremony in London on Thursday evening, but changed their plans to travel to see the Queen.
2.39pm: Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex take off from RAF Northolt.
3.15pm: The Queen is pronounced dead
3.40pm: The jet carrying William and other royals lands at Aberdeen
4.14pm: A news alert by the Press Association (PA) said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were travelling to Balmoral ‘separately’ from other royals.
4.39pm: Less than 30 minutes later, PA issue another news alert, quoting an unnamed source, saying that that the Duchess of Sussex would not travel to Balmoral with the Duke of Sussex. The source said that Prince Harry would be making the trip by himself. A source said the Duchess could potentially join Harry in Scotland at a later date, following what PA described as a ‘change of plan’.
5pm: Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex arrive at Balmoral
5.35pm: Prince Harry takes off from Luton
6.30pm: The Royal Family announces via social media site Twitter that Queen has died ‘peacefully’ at Balmoral at the age of 96.
6.46pm: Prince Harry lands at Aberdeen Airport on a private jet from Luton
8pm: The Duke of Sussex arrives at Balmoral
