To wonder how much of the Queen and Prince Phillip's long lives were down to wealth

[Feofjwonxoaks]

To both live to almost 100 without dementia and in relatively good health, until the very end.
Have worked in many care homes and we have a couple of ladies who are 99/100 who are in good spirits and mentally sharp, but this is rare.
It's rare to even make it to this age but most of our residents who are

[ConnieSaks]

My DGM lived (without dementia or serious illness) until she was 104. Unusually (and not recommended!) she smoked and drank up until the end. One of her more sensible sisters lived until 110. Their father worked at a coal mine (as a fireman - not any kind of management!). The BRCA gene is also prevalent in the family so luck (on many levels) is the key I’d say.

[sonsmum]

Your view is a little skewed. Many people of that great age still in reasonably good health are still fortunate to be able to live in their own homes (albeit with some home help), which you won't see.
Wealth also has nothing to do with it.
Good health is partly due to the genes you inherited and also your lifestyle choices, which we all own.
From viewing elderly/well family members, I will testify that keeping your mind sharp is about keeping your brain active, ie. do crosswords, math puzzles etc.....think not moan!
My elderly neighbour also swears by keeping active, ie. a small walk each day and is forever saying ' if you don't use it, you lose it!

[felulageller]

Of course that's why they lived longer!

The vast majority of us will die from lifestyle diseases. When you are that wealthy you can and usually do have a healthy lifestyle.

Stress also helps a lot too.

Then there's the access to top medical care- no waiting lists for them!

If everyone had that life the life expectancy of the population would rise by a decade.

[Banana2079]

Of course the long lives were down to wealth…she had a hospital wing At Balmoral castle …
However my grandma is 96 and lives in a third world country and she still going strong so it’s a combination of genes as well !
the Queen Mother lived to 101 .. I am sure they’ve had some help along the way but Possibly have good jeans as well-and of course the best food and medicine

[toddlingtortoise]

My grandma lived to 94. Whilst physically frail she was mentally on the ball until the day she died. She was comfortably middle class.

[tablep]

Look at life expectancy in wealthy areas/countries vs poorer areas/countries. Of course wealth makes a difference. I do think the Queen probably had more stress than other 90 yr olds who are just rich though

[tablep]

it's more a lifestyle thing, eating healthy, being fit and active.

But lifestyle is often linked to money?

[ivykaty44]

Princess Margaret was a bit of a lush & smoked. Lifestyle wasn’t conducive to long life

studies show that wealth improves quality of life, that could be that your likely to have habits that improve your health

[lollipoprainbow]

It's odd they don't seem to get cancer or dementia.

[Wishyfishy]

Perhaps it is genetics - it’s just most of her close relatives were heavy smokers.

In my family I have one side that does tend to live to 90+ almost without exception. Not one person has had cancer. No dementia.
Other side lots of problems. Lucky to make it to 75 but you probably don’t want to live longer as you’ll get dementia if you do … 🤷‍♀️

[x2boys]

@lollipoprainbow

It's odd they don't seem to get cancer or dementia.

How would we know if they did?

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

Wealth is linked to better health and higher iq

Higher IQ? As in innate intelligence or access to education/opportunities?

If you look back through history, you would deduce that men must have been hugely more intelligent than women, given all of their celebrated achievements in comparison with those of women; but in all the centuries where women were actively suppressed, denied equal rights, not listened to or respected, not allowed to do non-menial jobs (for which they were paid far, far less), treated as servants to the males, who were centred, encouraged, given all the opportunities etc. - it's not hard to realise why recorded history is so male-dominated, and it's nothing to do with innate intelligence discrepancies.

[EdithWeston]

it's definitely a factor - the affluent live longer than the poor.

They'll have had a life-long good diet, and timely medical intervention when required.

They also made choices which can be easier when rich - active lifestyle, ability to afford to take the whole summer off and a longish Christmas break, ability to remain close to family and friends (can host them, can travel to see them).

Being the boss and being able to set one's own agenda in life can help too

As does staying a healthy weight and never smoking

Also spiritual life - I don't mean Christianity per se, though that what it is for the Windsors - but that sense of community, and 'the forgiveness of sins' - ie owning what went wrong, being able to leave it behind and being able to move forwards.

[christmastreewithhairyfairy]

Of course their wealth helped enormously. It's not the only factor of course but there are plenty of studies linking income and health*
Studies which use actual quantitative data, not anecdotes about someone's great aunt who was poor and lived to 104, as some PPs seem to think is conclusive 🙄

*here's one

[MintyGreenDreams]

Prob had full body health checks very regularly

[EdithWeston]

Higher IQ? As in innate intelligence or access to education/opportunities?

Both - isn't it? IQ is partly inherited (and then developed by life experiences). So people who are clever are more able to get into the roles in life that they want, many of which will be higher paid. That start the reinforcing circle, as their DC will be brought up in relatively affluent circumstances by intelligent parents, and who them go on to do well themselves, including income.

It's not invariable of course. But the converse is also true - which is why it's so important to break cycles of inter-generational deprivation.

I'm sure I read yonks ago that mother's education level was one of the better determining factors for how the DC turned out, and that's all part and parcel of the same thing

[KimberleyClark]

@ivykaty44

Princess Margaret was a bit of a lush & smoked. Lifestyle wasn’t conducive to long life

studies show that wealth improves quality of life, that could be that your likely to have habits that improve your health

The Queen mother smoked and liked the gin too. She’d also had the stress of her brother in law’s abdication and her husband - a shy man with a stutter - having to become king when he hadn’t been prepared in the same way, and herself having to become Queen. Then there was the war. She lived to 101.

[Speedweed]

@lollipoprainbow

It's odd they don't seem to get cancer or dementia.

I read (unverified source) that the Queen had bone cancer, which was kept quiet because she (rightly) wanted to keep her health private. Some sort of treatment that knocks you for six would make sense given that she sometimes was ok and sometimes had unspecified 'intermittent mobility issues' in the months before she died.

I also think a lack of stress really helps too - she never had to worry about money, losing the roof over her head, whether her husband would leave her, whether she'd have time to get to pick up, whether she'd lose her job, whether her children would get into university etc. Money is a huge, huge cushion....

[TellySavalashairbrush]

great healthcare is a massive factor in longevity- easy fast access to screening at the first hint of an issue, etc.
I also think diet is a big deal too. My mum lived until her 90s . She was financially poor but also ate a very balanced diet (no quick fix diets) lots of fruit and vegetables, oily fish and very few high sugar snacks.

[WombatChocolate]

On an individual basis, all kinds of things impact life span. Regardless of wealth or poverty, some people have genetic conditions or are pre-disposed towards certain illnesses.

However, on a broad level, wealth and poverty are big factors in life span. When you look at average age of death in poor areas of Glasgow compared to affluent areas, average life can be very different.

If we are looking at individuals such as the Queen, we have to accept it won’t fully be explained by her wealth - the broader statistical patterns cannot be applied to one individual. She probably had the inbuilt health to live to a good age, but the lifestyle and care and other benefits of wealth certainly won’t have hindered but helped her.

People who identify their elderly relative or someone who died young who had wealth are identifying individuals….they might or might not support overall trends, and people forget that if you’re looking at one individual biraod patterns might or might not apply…..but when we look at vast numbers if individuals, that’s where we see the patterns broadly applying on average.

[Honeyroar]

Partially. She wouldn’t have been written off as quickly as my father was by the NHS, I’m sure. But she had good genes and was a pretty sensible lady too.

[KimberleyClark]

I also think a lack of stress really helps too - she never had to worry about money, losing the roof over her head, whether her husband would leave her, whether she'd have time to get to pick up, whether she'd lose her job, whether her children would get into university etc. Money is a huge, huge cushion....

she also knew she would get the very best quality of care, for which she’d never have to sell her home(s), up to her very last breath.

[Pedallleur]

Queens sister and father smoked so that factors in. But no stress, good diet and 24 hour accessible care (Queens/Kings physician and medical staff) all play a part

[RoseAndRose]

@TellySavalashairbrush

great healthcare is a massive factor in longevity- easy fast access to screening at the first hint of an issue, etc.
I also think diet is a big deal too. My mum lived until her 90s . She was financially poor but also ate a very balanced diet (no quick fix diets) lots of fruit and vegetables, oily fish and very few high sugar snacks.

Diet is fantastically important to lifespan and wider health.

It's why we have so many older people right now - especially the over 90s, whose childhood was spent during rationing - diets were limited but rations did give enough for health, and very few people were overweight. Having that sort of diet during childhood and young adulthood set them up well

I've read that in our current obesogenic society we run the risk of children having much shorter lifespans than their parents.

[ThatGirlInACountrySong]

Come on. .. the op clearly wanted a royal family v money,slagging off thread

It's not going that way. 😆