Queen’s cause of death was old age, death certificate confirms

A death certificate issued for Queen Elizabeth II has confirmed she passed away from old age at the age of 96.

The Queen died on 8 September after marking 70 years on the throne with her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year. Her death was announced in a statement released by the Royal Family, which explained she died 'peacefully' at her estate in Balmoral.

Hours before the announcement of her passing Buckingham Palace revealed that the Queen had undergone evaluation with doctors, who had voiced concerns for Her Majesty's health.

"The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remains under medical supervision," the statement said. "The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

A death certificate released to the public today (29 September) has now confirmed that the Queen's cause of death was old age. Although the announcement of her death was not made until 6:30pm, the document states she actually died at 3:10pm. Her daughter, Princess Anne, was the informant of her death.

The Queen celebrated her 96th birthday on 21 April, just a couple of months before a four-day weekend in June was dedicated to honouring her 70 years on the throne.

Following her passing, her eldest son Charles took her place in power. In a statement to the nation, King Charles described his mother's life as 'a life well lived'.

He continued: "In 1947, on her twenty-first birthday, she pledged in a broadcast from Cape Town to the Commonwealth to devote her life, whether it be short or long, to the service of her peoples. That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life."

In his new role as King, Charles committed to serving with 'loyalty, respect and love' to those both in the United Kingdom, and in the 'Realms and territories across the world'.

The Queen line to the throne became shorter in 1936, when her grandfather, King George V, died and her uncle took his place as King Edward VIII.

He abdicated the throne the same year, passing the responsibility to the Queen's father, King George VI.

The Queen's life was celebrated in her funeral at Westminster Abbey on 19 September with members of parliament and heads of states from across the globe. The Royal Family then followed her coffin in a procession to Windsor Castle, where she was buried alongside her mother, father, sister and husband, Prince Philip.

Featured Image Credit: John Henshall/Allstar Picture Library Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: The Queen

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.