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.

Does it really matter what she died of? She was 96. Whatever ‘officially’ caused her death, be it a stroke, heart attack, whatever, in reality she died because she was 96! It would be different if it was, say, Wills or Harry. If it was one of her children or grandchildren I’d be more curious just because they are young and healthy.

I like to think she waited for Johnson to have formally left office. Once she was sure he wouldn't feature front & centre in her funeral she was happy

I'm betting on those photos of her with Liz being touched up

There is a reason there are only a few and the ones with Liz are staged in a certain way

@TheClogLady
Thank you for those photos.

Yes, the bruise is a big one, but I also notice the fingers of her right hand are extremely pale, and also the very tight grip on the walking stick with her left hand.

The overseas press have been reporting cancer for at least a year including speculation of why there was a UK news embargo

Over the years the overseas press also had her breaking up with Philip/arguing with her sister/not speaking to her mother/abdicating and God knows what else any number of times.

It happens like that if you’re lucky. You’re fine and then you’re not. My grandad was a spritely 93 yr old who could have passed for 20 years younger up until the final few days of his life, when he felt unwell, suddenly looked frail and pale….and then died.

There is no better way to go. No long protracted illness with gruelling treatment. Just quick fade to the end at a ripe old age. I’ll take that.

There is a reason there are only a few and the ones with Liz are staged in a certain way

umm, the reason that she's old and frail?

What else is there to it? It was what it was.

In Racing Post, one of her Trainers Clive Cox was at the Sales on Tuesday morning, The Queen phoned him.
Most of us would have thought Boris exit and Ms Truss entrance would have been enough for the day.

Well, at 96, decline can be very rapid. It is good that she was able to be active almost to the last,

I imagine she had DNR, is why she wasn't rushed to hospital.

I completely agree with this. I believe she had cancer and that accounts for the inability to be present at public events sometimes and the mobility problems. However I think whatever happened overnight on Wednesday was secondary to the cancer and not expected.

We will probably be told she died from natural causes but I'm inclined to think there had been a gradual decline which was hidden from the public. She was appearing less frequently and when she did appear it was almost like she was stepping back to allow other senior royals to take the lead. The jubilee was like that, more focussed on the other members. It seemed odd on the balcony how they dressed her in an almost identical lavender outfit the Queen mother used to wear, giving a frail old lady image. It was almost as if the last year they had gradually been phasing her out and pushing the others to the front. I think this had been coming for some time and was just being kept out of public view.

No, the angle Liz is standing

Makes it easier to touch up the queen

It's very carefully posed, and uncommon when looking at past pictures of her with the PM and other guests

I actually agree with this - apparently my grandmother was determined to see me born and hung in there against all predictions and died the day after I was born . Other people apparently like to be on their own and my dear dad appeared to wait until we had all gone home - the hospice nurse said this happens a lot .

I thought she looked very unwell in the photos with Liz Truss and had certainly declined significantly since the Jubilee (compare the photos).
She was 96 and had probably been unwell for a long time, but even if there was no underlying disease, people in their 90s can go suddenly and unexpectedly. I remember a lovely bloke who used to play in an orchestra with me. He was 93. He was at rehearsal on the Monday, laughing and joking, fit as a fiddle. By Tuesday lunchtime he was dead.
And my own great grandma died aged 99. She'd cooked lunch for the entire family, seemed absolutely fine, sat down after lunch for a snooze and never woke up again.

I've worked in care and some people who have a bad prognosis have kept going, even to the point where they are extremely underweight and I wondered why they held on so long, yet have seen quite healthy people who are much younger decline in a couple of days.

I am glad she seemed reasonably well till the end, but who knows what it was.

I expect there was a long term health issue which was incurable or it was a sudden death, as she would have been taken to hospital.

This happened with my nan. She was 86 and was full of life and energy then she went into hospital with her heart

I think you'll probably struggle to find any death certificates with 'old age' listed as an official cause of death. Age related perhaps but even that's a bit vague.

*youmakemesigh
She died of old age. The end.

I think you'll probably struggle to find any death certificates with 'old age' listed as an official cause of death. Age related perhaps but even that's a bit vague.*

This is sort of how Harold shipman got caught. He had put old age on many death certificates which was very rare

This.

My Mum was a wheelchair user because of arterial disease and lung issues, she could walk short distances and got out independently using a rollator.
My Mum started to feel unsettled over the weekend she wanted my adult children to stay with her. On Monday I took her out shopping as usual, she said that she felt odd, but was able to get in and out of the chair. On Tuesday I went round to take her out again. She was feeling the cold, unusual for her and started to struggle to breathe. We went to the GP, who sent us up to A&E. My Mother indepently changed into PJS and drank cups of tea. This was 4pm. She went to the toilet and had to be helped back to bed. She did a little dance with the Nurse, flirted with the doctor, joked with us and then just declined rapidly. They put her on oxygen and a sedative. She died at 9.20pm. That's quite common for someone very elderly who has a DNR/no intervention plan.

@teaandtoastwithmarmite interesting

Oh for Gods sake, it’s not a time to be political. She had seen so many politicians come and go. If you don’t like Boris / good for you, but don’t try and hijack someone’s death with your own political preferences

My grandmother, who brought me up, after my mother died was diagnosed with leukemia. She spent one night in hospital, and when they woke her the next day, she had died. Everyone dies, and I hope I go the same way!

This does happen a lot, it happened with my dad, waited til he could see us all then passed away with very good timing. It’s very common for people to pass away when someone who’s sat with them for days bios to the loo etc