How did she decline so rapidly?

[Maggiethecat]

Not really trying to know the cause of the queen’s death although I have wondered but can’t get my head round that picture of her greeting Liz Truss to her death 2 days later.

Initially thought it must have been something acute like a stroke or heart but then it seems like she has been ailing (haven’t really taken note, other than palace statements of mobility issues).

Perhaps she had been bedridden for weeks and made a huge effort on Monday to fulfil her last duty but I’m inclined to think had that been the case more of her family would have been near.

The bruising on her hands is likely Senile Purpura it’s very common in older and frail people with fragile skin and blood vessels due to old age. Can also be made worse by blood thinners and other medications.

In her meeting with Truss she was not seen moving, I think she may have been brought into the room in a wheel chair, did the handshake and then was taken out again.

I have been thinking the same thing.

I think even the family were taken by surprise by the speed of things. Charles had gone to an official engagement in Dumfries House the day before she took unwell and I doubt he’d have done that if there was even a whiff of what was unfolding.

72 isn't exactly an 'excessively young' age to die though, is it? Yeah, it's not very old, but I wouldn't class it as an excessively young age to die.

Is the queens audience with the outgoing and new prime minister usually televised? I can't remember. I guess as it wasn't that also indicates that her advisors didn't want her to be seen too much and only allowed a photo.

Someone I know died recently, in his late 70s. He woke up, went to the toilet, came back to bed, and died! Heart attack unfortunately. At her age that’s all it would have taken. RIP 💖

Probably the person that mostly cared for them? I doubt that she still took them on long walks 4 times a day....

When I was 13 gran was with us for Christmas, set off perfectly happily on the 28th on a coach mind morning and the coach was diverted to hospital because she'd had a stroke and it was decided as they were so close it was quicker than an ambulance - and she was dead by 10pm. Sadly it can happen :(

It was when I saw the photo of William driving his uncles and aunt that I felt certain the Queen had passed and they knew. Their body language. 😔

She had a good innings and was in robust health until the last year or so. I think a big part of their decline at that age can be losing their partner. Although she had always seemed healthy, I didn't think she would live for years after Philip died. I think she held on for her jubilee, enjoyed her summer in her beloved Scotland and then slipped away. It's a bonus that she got to see Boris go.

I feel very unsettled. I don't think anyone was expecting a new Prime Minister and a new King in the same week.

My aunt was like this visited her in the afternoon. It was the strangest thing her eyes were so blue her skin seemed to be lit from within her smile beautiful. She passed away the following morning.

I'll never forget that visit

Strokes 'strike', unexpectedly, the clue's in the name! For all we know she may have had TIAs previously, these can cause small traumas to blood vessels in the brain that then make subsequent strokes catastrophic. She's also had Covid which can affect the blood vessels. God knows, until we are told formally, if we ever are.

Maybe she had a stroke yesterday morning/Wednesday evening?

More than that, all of the queen's children have more than one dog. Several of the grandchildren too.

Plus there would have been people who were around the dogs daily and helped with their care.

Lots of options.

The Queen gave the future of the dogs a lot of thought as she had initially not intended having more as she didn't want to outlive them.

Rumours include Angela Kelly or another member of staff whose name escapes me. Also Prince Andrew gifted the two youngest to her and may have them back.

Even if it didn’t quite happen like this, it’s nice to think of this as one of her final achievements; preventing that sorry excuse for a public figure, who is the antithesis to her in so many ways, from being PM at her funeral (which he would have loved).

The very elderly can decline very quickly but often have a rally just prior to death when they appear much recovered. Given her mobility issues, i suspect a fall during the evening/morning.

@PutinIsAWarCriminal
I read that Charles was staying at Birkhall close by, and was visiting everyday. That in itself is unusual.
I also read that Charles and P. Anne were with her when she died. The others arrived a bit too late.
(Sorry for lack of title; it feels weird saying King Charles)

Carry on calling him Charles, I'm going to.

My 82 year old mother's hands look exactly like that at the moment, not due to cancer but because she is in hospital after falling and has had cannulas in her hand. I don't agree it is a sign of end stage cancer.

The Palace only gave out limited information, probably as the Queen wanted, so we didn’t know much about her health.

At that age, they can go to bed still reasonably spritely and pass away in their sleep.

We don't need to know the ins and outs of the Queen's health issues, although it's good that it's provoked conversations about death and how to have a good death. I did see quite a few people on FB yesterday saying they were so shocked she was poorly/ hoped she would recover quickly etc, and remember thinking, recover from what? Being 96?

My grandmother died at a similar age to the Queen and it just says 'old age' on her death certificate. There was nothing physically wrong with her. She just gave up when my grandad died, and refused to eat.

I don't think we need to worry about the dogs! Even if they didn't have staff to fulfil their every need, and a large, wealthy family to adopt them in necessary, I'm sure commoners would be lining up to have them too. They won't be sent to a rescue or shot!

Sounds like a really good death to me. Most people aren’t that lucky. I liked her and it’s a sad moment but I actually feel pleased that it happened this way because dying can be so undignified.

Exactly sadly. She didn't look great either, she was very thin and frail looking, understandably at 96. She went downhill slowly from Philip dying, you could see her losing weight in photos. She had an amazing life though and was an amazing woman. No one else could do as well as she did, people say it's an easy life they lead, but it isn't.

There are strong rumours that she had terminal bone cancer, if its true then the mainstream press will pick it up at some point. I guess they're waiting to see what the Palace says officially first.