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

My Dad lived to 97. He had a poverty stricken childhood but the food he ate was home grown and cooked from scratch. There were no cars or public transport, so it would be nothing for the whole family to walk everywhere from an early age. Life certainly improved for him as he got older but proper food and regular exercise were habits he held onto throughout his life. I remember the disgust he felt when my brother brought home a takeaway Big Mac.

This is an interesting read

www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/09/japan-okinawa-secret-to-longevity-good-health/

Of course, if you are living in poverty your chances for good health are minimal but wealth isn't a shield against ill health either.

of course she had stress
h & M
Andrew
annus horribilis

one lady i cared for in her own home lived to 101, she barely moved but she was bright as a button, did the word search daily. ate little

did the QM smoke?

Yes if you look at the Queen, her husband and her mum, she was the shortest lived. Charles and Anne must be pretty unusual in getting to their 70s with both parents alive and as well as could be expected for their age.

I do think the wealth has been a massive factor yes. Access to the best healthcare, living environments that money can buy. I wouldn’t say they didn’t work but in no means was it proper hard graft coupled with things like no money worries, wrangling care and support of children and other relatives. I wouldn’t want their life but on many levels it was a cushy one, and then a good death at the end of it. Lucky them.

Yes but it seems lightly in comparison to her husband.

And yes of course they were not protected from the stressors that affect everyone else - family woes, bereavement. We all have those. I don’t doubt when Windsor Castle caught fire it was distressing. But they weren’t left with nowhere to live and nothing but the clothes they stood in as would happen to most other people who’s house burned down.

Having said that my own grandad lived until 93 and drank like a fish and was massively overweight, never smoked though which was unusual for men of his generation.

Its a mix. My grandmother was 99, no dementia etc. She didn't grow up affluent, although wasn't poor - had enough to eat. However she smoked which the queen never did.

She was from a family where several generations had lived long lives. I suspect it helped that she never drove so walked a lot. She had a major sweet tooth and liked a drink though!

Exercise and healthy eating.

Both the Queen and Prince Philip got lots of exercise even well into old age. My granny was the same and lived to 97.

That was cancer

Not really, walking costs nothing.

The people who I know who made it to 80s and 90s were all walkers. None of them were wealthy.
My GF made it to 98 was a meter reader, so walked daily and loved a country walk at the weekend.

I'll also add didn't really eat processed food. Used the butcher and the fishmongers.

Very little, I’d say. It’s good genes. My dad, who was born in a mining community in 1916 made 99. My mum was 97. No healthcare outside the NHS. They ate well, didn’t smoke or drink and got a lot of exercise. My mum was the youngest of seven, all born between 1906 and 1918 - two of them lived to be over 100 and another three to be in their late 90s. My gran, born in 1884, lived to 95.

The Queen had long-lived women on both sides of the family - The Queen mother, Queen Mary (85), Queen Alexandra (80), Queen Victoria (81). Prince Philip’s mother lived to 85, his grandmother to 87. There’s no real history of dementia in the family - they seem to stay fit and mentally sharp. Genetics plays a huge part, add in a lifestyle where they’re outside a lot and have moderate dietary habits, and they’ve got a big head start.

Having wealth protects you from some happenings which can impact health. My GM had weakened lungs from being under rubble after house getting bombed during the war. She died at 80 because of lung cancer. Her brother had died of pulmonary tb. At the time the Queen was born ten WC women a week died in childbirth and on average each WC family lost at least one child, because of the effects of poverty. Not getting good care during measles, tb etc weakens the body. Illnesses have an accumulative effect. Access to the top health care and the ability to go to the coast/rural places, makes a massive difference. The disparity in health outcomes based on income is well researched and documented. There is a few who genetics play a part and lifestyle hasn't stopped that.

Part will be wealth and access to health care, but also genetics.

I've done my family tree and a lot of the adults died in their late 80s and into their 90s. Three of my grandparents died in the last couple of years - all reaching 90s. All had hard working working class lives, definitely not cosy and money rich. They were all active and sharp with their minds throughout. Their health wasn't always great in their later years but they got through most, two dying of natural causes/old age and one only succumbing in their early 90s.

Dh's grandad reached mid 90sand his background was coal miner, working class life although having more wealth as he got older.

It plays it's part but good genes and luck comes into play too.

Part of remaining mentally sharp is continuing to engage in society regularly, through work I deal with many elderly people and it's commonplace for people to just sit at home watching tv rather than taking part in the many opportunities (mostly free) in our town.

Alzheimer's doesn't discriminate on wealth grounds but general age related memory loss is reduced if your keep mentally active

The main thing wealth protects you from is preventable causes of early death eg poor nutrition, occupational causes etc. the reason people die earlier on average in poorer areas is mostly due to occupation or poor lifestyles particularly smoking

Alzheimer's doesn't discriminate on wealth grounds but general age related memory loss is reduced if your keep mentally active

That probably helps as well, if you have a job (like the royals) that isn't physically difficult, but you really need to have your wits about you, with all the varied tasks, customs and protocols. It contrasts sharply with somebody doing a deeply boring, predictable job like packing biscuits into boxes on auto-pilot for 35-40 hours a week.

Queen Victoria was a Great Granny to them both.

Definitely a genetics thing at play, along with being active.

Genetics definitely have something to do with it. My great auntie lived until 92 and her cousins reached 96 and 97. Her sister, my grandma, died much younger in her 60’s but she had poor health for much of her life due to a botched operation when she was a young woman. My dad looks like he is going to be the same as his auntie. Almost 75 and absolutely nothing wrong with him except for slightly high cholesterol.

My great grandparent lived to almost 100. She lived in one of the most deprived areas in the whole continent. Luck and genetics play a big part in longevity.

I always refer to George Harrison and Linda McCartney in these sort of discussions

Both wealthy, into healthy lifestyle but meant nothing if you get ill

Queen Victoria was a Great Granny to them both.

Being pedantic, Queen Victoria was a Great-Great Grandmother to both the Queen and Prince Philip. They were third cousins 🫤

When the Queen turned 90 Radio 4 found sone 90 year olds and interviewed them.
They had three things in common, which the Queen and Prince Philip also had.

Luck: they had not had any life limiting disease
Engagement: each one was actively social- with their communities and families
Activity: they remained purposefully physically active

Good healthcare also matters of course, but not getting sick in the first place even more.