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

[Mamanyt]

I've known very wealthy people with the very best of care to succumb to dementias of all sorts, and folks who never had much care to be hale, hearty, and alert well into their 90s. Much of dementia has a genetic component, and genetics could care less about wealth.

[rangagirl]

Just because they didn’t get up at 8am and drive to an office job every day, doesn’t mean they didn’t ‘work!’

The royals absolutely work - all those PR tours and charity works are hard work.

Do you ever suggest that SAH parents don’t ‘work?’

Because I assure you, they do as well!

[GrandTheftWalrus]

I knew a woman who was 106 and she only needed help with her tights.

[milkyaqua]

@CredibilityProblem

Nothing will prevent dementia in the sense of absolutely guaranteeing that you don't get it. Intelligence, education and intellectual stimulation all lower your risk of vascular dementia and/or Alzheimer's, but that didn't stop Iris Murdoch, one of the most brilliant minds of her generation, succumbing. It's the same as the wealth thing running through this thread: a strong correlation is not the same as a 1 to 1 inevitable link.

All the things that lower risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease affect your risk of developing dementia, vascular dementia particularly, and they are mostly lifestyle changes. Iris Murdoch drank like a fish. Not recommended.

[BettySwallocks]

@Luredbyapomegranate

It would have a big impact - we know that on average people in poor areas die younger and have fewer healthy years, but they will also have good genes and they both had pretty healthy lifestyles.

The Queen’s mother lived to 103. Her father died in his 50s and her sister at 70, but they were both heavy smokers and she was a drinker - I think he died of lung cancer and her of a stroke - so that was lifestyle induced.

You sure about the Queen mothers age?

[Buffs]

I agree, both my parents have looked after themselves all their lives and lived healthy lifestyles but have conditions which are not being treated well by the NHS due to waiting lists. Having excellent private healthcare with good screening makes the world of difference.
princess Margaret and king George died young because of their lifestyles.

[BrokenCopper]

Wealth can provide good health care, can be picky with health food, enjoyable active life.

I am not rich but I can afford to eat non organic healthy food and my only exercise really are the pile of chores around the house.

We don't have private health care, if I have cancer, I am convinced that I'll be shoving off my GP's door a few times before being referred, I probably be on the death road by then.

[Dinoteeth]

@BettySwallocks

You sure about the Queen mothers age?

I thought it was 102 but whats a year at that age?

[Rhaenys]

I was looking this up the other day and it was only her, Prince Phillip and her mum that lived past 90 in her extended family. (I looked at her parents siblings, Prince Philip’s siblings and their children).

[Kjpt140v]

He had cancer.

[Rhaenys]

Here’s the list if anyone is interested.

Queen - 96
Prince Philip - 99
Queen’s parents - 101, 56
Prince Philip’s parents - 84, 62
Queen’s sister - 71
Prince Philip’s siblings - 76, 63, 26, 87
Queen’s grandparents - 75, 89, 70, 85
Prince Philip’s grandparents - 67, 74, 67, 87
Queen’s aunts and uncles - 77, 67, 74, 39, 13, 59, 40, 82
Prince Philip’s aunts and uncles - 54, 88, 21, 66, 64, 0, 51, 67, 58, 56, 58, 16

[Dinoteeth]

A real mix of ages there.
If I've done the sums right I'm getting a total of 2485 years / 39 people = average life expectancy of 63 years.

[Dinoteeth]

Splitting them out HMQ had average life expectancy of 68, PP average life expectancy of 60.

[Ladyof2022]

I know a working class couple now aged 93 (she) and 95 (he).

He was a builder, left school at 14 and grafted hard in his first decades, eventually owning his own building firm.

She ran the home, raised the kids and did admin for the business.

She is in good health, takes no medications, and is mentally sharp. Despite being a smoker till he was about 70, he was in the same condition as her till he reached 92/93, when he began a downward slide and now has dementia.

[Musermum]

@DownNative

Margaret was 72 and had failing health in her last years.

King George VI had his entire left lung removed in 1951 when a malignant tumour was found. Died in 1952 aged 56.

On the other hand, I had a relative who lived in the Ardoyne area of Belfast where a lot of trouble occurred. Lived to 96 without dementia.

It's not always a simple correlation.

Hardy Belfast working class folk. My aunt and uncle passed away this year at 100, both from Oldpark area. Hard but happy lives. My own parents were 85 and 81, also reared in poverty. My dad's 1st visit to the dentist was at 17 when he joined the RAF (1947).