Queen died of old age, death certificate reveals

The Queen’s cause of death was old age, her death certificate has revealed.

The document, published by National Records of Scotland, records that the late monarch died at 3.10pm on 8 September at Balmoral Castle in Ballater.

The cause of death of Britain’s longest-reigning sovereign is listed as old age.

In a day of pageantry and processions, the Queen was laid to rest on Monday 19 September following her 70 years of service and a state funeral at Westminster Abbey, attended by hundreds of world leaders and dignitaries.

As the Princess Royal paid tribute to her mother, she revealed she was with her in her last moments.

Anne, who accompanied the Queen’s coffin as it travelled from Balmoral to London via Edinburgh, said: “I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life.”

The princess is named as the “informant” on the document and would have notified the local registrar of her mother’s death.

Her grieving family walked behind her coffin throughout the day of her funeral and burial, and the emotion was clear to see on the face of King Charles III.

At least 250,000 people had queued to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lying in state for four days in Westminster Hall in London.

Westminster Abbey witnessed a gathering perhaps unique in world history, with a congregation of more than 2,000, including Liz Truss and every living former prime minister, US president Joe Biden and scores of world leaders for the televised funeral watched by hundreds of millions worldwide.

The BBC said the funeral was watched by a peak audience of 28 million people across the UK.

The Queen’s nine-year-old great-grandson Prince George, now second in line to the throne, wiped away a tear, and Prince Andrew was also seen in tears.

Just three months earlier, the nation had celebrated the Queen’s platinum jubilee with street parties, a service of thanksgiving, the Derby at Epsom Downs, a star-studded party at Buckingham Palace and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

The Queen ascended the throne at the age of 25, when her father King George VI passed away, but she was not crowned until almost 18 months later, on 2 June 1953.

The death certificate lists old age as the only cause of her passing away, with no other contributing factors.

Paul Lowe, the Registrar General for Scotland, confirmed that the Queen’s death was registered in Aberdeenshire on 16 September.

Douglas James Allan Glass is noted as the certifying registered medical practitioner.

At the end of the 10-day official mourning period on Monday, flags on British government buildings around the world went back to flying at full mast, and the royal family resumed official duties.

Following the state funeral, a private burial service was held for the King and other members of the royal family, finally alone with their memories away from the public and television cameras.

A new ledger stone, of black marble, installed at the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle is inscribed with the Queen’s name and the years of her birth and death, alongside those of her father, George VI; her mother, Elizabeth; and her husband, Philip, who died last year. It replaces a previous slab that had only her parents.

In his sermon at the abbey, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby reminded the congregation of Elizabeth’s promise as a young woman to dedicate her whole life to the nation and Commonwealth.

“Rarely has such a promise been so well kept,” said the Archbishop.

“She was joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives.”

A poll found support for the monarchy increased after the Queen’s funeral.

King Charles plans to have a slimmed-down coronation ceremony as he wants to avoid extravagance while ordinary people struggle with the cost of living crisis, it has been reported.