Why did the Palace announce the late Queen was under medical supervision

[asblindasabat]

On the day the late Queen died, why did they make the announcement that her doctors were concerned for her health and had placed her under medical supervision at Balmoral in the hours prior to the announcement of her passing?

They didn’t do that when Prince Philip died, I remember they just came out and broke the news that he had died, there was no build up to it in the hours before the announcement of his passing.

I think she died at about 3pm day that day, I have wondered if she maybe died a few hours before that and if the announcement of her health was just made in the interim before the family were ready to make her passing known to the public?

Really ?Why does this even matter now?She was very old,she got ill and her close family needing mobilising to be with her.And as head of state some information was released to avoid speculation .That's it .

Actually, this isn't strictly true. The time of death is not when someone dies, it when they are pronounced dead. My dad died in hospital shortly before midnight. The nursing staff had to get a senior member of staff to confirm death. Although this was done within about 15 minutes, it was a different day. So he actually died on the 10th but his death certificate says 11th.

This

Because someone would have noticed them all going up there.

To prepare any one who would have to do anything when she passed.

Because it would be easier than trying to keep it all a secret.

she had already cancelled an engagement that day, information was on high alert

or the day before even, plenty of people needed to know, or suspect it was imminent

It was to gently prepare us

@Theunamedcat

Depends really with an ordinary member of the public telling the ambulance or whoever they have stopped breathing

That's not how it works at all.

It was prepare everyone. Although any one out and about that day and not seeing TV got a shock.

Also because so many royals cancelled everything. It was bound to cause suspicion.

It was obvious the minute they said it, that this was it. I rang my parents who were abroad and just went: The Queen is dying.

And the point of this thread is? What does it matter if she tripped over a corgi? The Head of State died. She was very old and passed away.

No! And the Queen had at least one Doctor there. They discreetly look at the clock or watch. I dont know if anyone has had the misfortune of someone dying in a hospice or whatever but they stay discreetly at the end of the bed or a bit away.

If they said she died at 3pm, she died at that time. People aren't always in the mood to tell others right away though.

Because there needed to be some sort of preparation. It would have been pretty shocking to go from apparently fine changing over the Prime Minister 48 hours previous to Breaking News: The Queen has died.

Surely that was fairly obvious?

Charles was in Scotland at the time and I read in one of the papers that he was calling in on the late Queen every day. This was about a week before her death.
That the outgoing and incoming Prime Ministers had to fly to Balmoral was also significant.
However, it was only on the day she actually died that it became apparent that death was imminent, and the senior RF members were called in, namely Anne, (who was also in Scotland), Andrew and Edward plus also P. William).
Nothing else to worry about really.
The BBC newsreaders had time to change into black ties

ThighMistress · Today 11:16
And the point of this thread is? What does it matter if she tripped over a corgi? The Head of State died. She was very old and passed away“

Quite.

and there is your answer !

Exactly this.

If they started gathering there would be mass media attention and speculation. The Palace handled the situation well.

It was doubtless to prepare everyone. And it’s not without precedent, her grandfather (I think) also had his imminent death announced with something like ‘The king’s life is drawing peacefully to a close’, or words to that effect.

I just took that to mean she was palliated and passed away a few hours later.

Not at all uncommon. Or mysterious.

I write death certificates - the legal time of death is when I certify it, even though the person may have died earlier. I’m in an ICU so I examine the person very shortly after death but if I were on the wards or a GP it might be much later.

Prince Philip was bed-ridden in his last weeks. His death was probably expected any time. The Queen was up and about at least two days before her death. The announcement could have been because she suddenly got a lot worse that day.

It was because at that time, they must have known that her condition was critical

Operation London Bridge would need to be invoked, so quite a lot of people involved in that would need warning (not just wider family, also broadcasters, military, parts of the civil service) and a controlled release of information is clearly better than people (or journos) noticing a number of royals suddenly and unexpectedly heading up for Balmoral looking grave

No need when it was Prince Phillip - the plan for him wasn't as extensive as he was not head of state. Especially as covid meant no full ceremonial funeral