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.

I visited my granny on Christmas Eve, she was grand at 89, walked me to the door, lovely.

The next morning the warden found her collapsed, she had a stroke and passed away later that day. My mum was able to get there to be with her.

I hope I am the same.

In terms of the bruise, I used to get those bruises when I had a cannula in my hand. And I only had it in my hand because my veins were shot from all the chemo. Although I don't think they'd give someone in their 90s chemo to be fair, but I definitely think that was a cannula bruise . But it could just have been for fluids or something .

Also many elderly people who have cancer don't die from the cancer, it's often not very aggressive in older people, so that may be a red herring anyway. Maybe she had osteoporosis and was quite fragile hence the mobility issues.

I know everyone thought she looked weak on Monday but I thought she still looked amazing for 96! Radiant smile too!

She looked old and frail but not seriously unwell in the photos from Tuesday. That’s just my opinion though.

so she’s likely just took a turn for the worst and just passed away? What did they mean by they had placed her under medial supervision, surely if she had a stroke or a cardiac arrest, her death would have been pretty quick?

or would have that just been so the public didn’t know she had passed, at that point?

Lots of things will be quite different. For one the Christmas Day speech.

Charles seemed to put on a brave face earlier. He got out the car and met the crowds. He is making a speech later on at St Paul’s.

I don't understand those 'none of your business' comments.

To me question may help enhance medical understanding. I prefer that to remaining shush-shush and squeamish about things.

I had some elderly relatives slowly and excruciatingly decline, then started displaying symptoms that made nurses say 'they have only 24 hrs left'. Reading about the processes in cold scientific way if you like - gave some comfort and sense of preparedness, even if not much comfort about the end of life care in UK.

I asked similar question to my medical friend when I heard of her passing - without direct speculation about the queen my friend explained well that it doesn't take much to take out people at this age.

Didn’t she work on the Tuesday? Probably already felt awful, but pushed on because that’s what she did. It was all too much I would guess. Dealing with bojo and Liz and Charles being king- can you imagine….. She was 96!

You can’t know she was feeling awful. A friend had a heart attack and died out of the blue having been shopping with family a few hours earlier. Sometimes it happens like that.

Off topic slightly but does anyone else feel like the jubilee suddenly seems years ago, not 3 months ago!

Yeah it seems very likely this is the case.

I found it slightly odd that she and LT were photographed in front of a roaring fire. May be northern Scotland it's still summer, fgs. Maybe she was feeling chilly and poorly. She was also wearing what looked like a cardigan, hardly her usual attire.

She had covid in February and was never the same afterwards. She even said herself that she was exhausted from it. Death from covid can happen months after the infection - haven’t you noticed all the sudden deaths lately? Always after a bout (or more) of covid.

I would suspect a sudden massive stroke/heart attack early Thursday morning.

But, as others have said, she was 96 and a half. When you get to that age, it doesn't take much.

It's just a bit shocking to see the pictures of her standing and smiling with Liz Truss, looking frail, (but again, 96) but upbeat and engaged. Then dead 48 hours later. Such is the way with the very old though. I think it's the way we'd all choose to go. No one really wants to linger over the inevitable.

I'd imagine we'll get a cause of death at some point in the future, but not for some time.

Adversity

That's a wonderful story about your grandmother

I'd be very surprised if they told us anything about the cause of death, surely a private family matter

Yes I agree

Her medical condition at the end probably won’t be shared

I would imagine it should be on her death certificate which is a public record as all of ours are

Although obviously I havent got mine yet!

I saw that picture and knew she wasn't long for this world. I could see it in her eyes. So I don't think the decline at the end was rapid.

I think The Queen held on to perform her duty one last time and then was able to die in peace.

My father wasn't feeling wonderful on the Monday morning (but was still pottering about and insisting he was fine)
He went downhill Monday afternoon, by Tuesday morning we knew it was hours - he died just after midnight on Wednesday

I haven't read every single post but my impression is the likelihood was simply heart failure. If you look very closely at the photograph of her shaking hands with Liz Truss you can see her fingertips and very white. I am a nurse and have seen this before. But she had a life well lived and I'm glad she did not die of something painful and lingering.

I get she was 96, but I’m just curious what it was. I’d assume with the speed of things it was a stroke or heart attack. To those saying people ‘just died’ - but something will have stopped working, you can call it old age, but something has to happen. I think my curiosity comes from my own heart attack which came out of the blue. I’m a lot younger than the Queen, but there was definitely part of it where I quite calmly thought I was dying. It was all very bizarrely, laying in the room having the clot removed, I still had my slippers on, and I thought ‘God, what a miserable room to die in’.

The bruised hand is neither here nor there. All sorts of meds make you bruise loads, and old people bruise more anyway.

since then I’ve always been curious around causes of death. I still don’t know what Phillip died of.

I have experience of two relatively young deaths in recent weeks, both from cancer as it was rumoured the Queen had.

DH was in incredible pain and barely mobile for months, but quite well "in himself" until the very end. When the end came it was staggeringly quick, within hours.

A TA at DC school died last weekend. She had worked in the holiday club all summer 😥

The same thing happened with my granddad at a similar age. Had some back pain, went to hospital, died a week later. Your body just wears out and you're ready to go, I think.

I was in Aberdeenshire on Thursday and had the heating on. Between the wind and torrential rain, it was definitely a chilly autumn day. If I was 96, I would also have a lovely snug cardigan on and the fire roaring.

I think the conversations around death are good to have - not pleasant generally but useful.

I don’t know anyone of a very old age who died suddenly of old age, rather than of a terminal/chronic illness or sudden event.