Saturday 1 October 2022 10:21 PM BARNEY CALMAN: Is it possible the Queen simply died of old age as on just 2% of ... trends now
What does it mean to die of old age? It's a familiar phrase, and yet, when it emerged that it had been officially recorded as the sole cause of death on the Queen's death certificate, many expressed surprise.
Several people commented on social media that the term seemed vague.
'Old age seems to me just a number, not a medical term,' suggested one.
'Surely there's a medical term used to explain the failure of a biological organ?' wrote another.
American celebrity website TMZ said the certificate was 'simple, perhaps oddly so'. And it could have a point. It was also the cause of death given for Prince Philip, who died in April last year at the age of 99. But although it is a legally acceptable explanation for death under specific circumstances, it is an unusual one.
Death certificates are part of the public record, alongside birth and marriage certificates. This is why the Queen's was made public. They are required before the family can make funeral plans and settle the deceased's estate. And they are a vital tool used by government bodies to track causes of death across the country.
Death certificates must be completed by the doctor who attended to the deceased 'during their last illness', and they are responsible for determining the cause of death. In the case of the late monarch, who died at Balmoral on September 8 at 3.10pm, this was done by Dr Douglas Glass, who has worked for the Royal Family for more than three decades.
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The Queen's death certificate which described her sole cause of death as 'old age'
Death certificates routinely list both the direct cause of death, such as pneumonia or sepsis, and what led to that condition or event developing. They may also list other conditions that might have contributed to that person dying – for instance, if they suffered an illness such as dementia or diabetes that left them vulnerable.
The importance of each of these factors, and the order in which they are listed, is up to the medic writing the document. The certificate must be signed off by a local medical examiner – an expert trained in the legal and clinical elements of the process.
Government guidance says 'old age', 'senility' or 'frailty of old age' can be given as sole cause of death only if the doctor who writes the certificate has cared for the deceased over a long period and observed a gradual decline in health that couldn't be attributed to a disease or injury.
However, one GP, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'If old age is given as the only explanation these days, a doctor writing such
