London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 11, 2026

Queen's cause of death given as 'old age' on death certificate

Queen's cause of death given as 'old age' on death certificate

Queen Elizabeth II died of "old age", according to her death certificate, which has been released by the National Records of Scotland.

The certificate records the Queen died at 15:10 on 8 September in Balmoral Castle, at the age of 96.

Princess Anne is recorded as the person providing the information about the Queen's death.

For "occupation" of the deceased, the official form says: "Her Majesty the Queen."

The doctor who certified the death at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire was Douglas Glass, who Buckingham Palace says was an "apothecary to the Queen".

When she was alive there was a curtain of privacy around the Queen's health, and in her death there remains some restraint.

Her cause of death is recorded as "old age", without any further details.


"Old age" is only usually given as the sole cause of death in very limited circumstances.

This would be where the certifying doctor has personally cared for someone over a long period; where a gradual decline has been observed and where a doctor is not aware of any identifiable disease or injury contributing to a death.

But the timing of the Queen's death does confirm more about what happened during the day of 8 September, when so much attention was being paid to reports of her ill health.

Buckingham Palace had formally announced the Queen's death at 18:30, with news organisations around the world immediately relaying the announcement that: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon."

There were subsequent reports that the Prime Minister Liz Truss had been privately notified earlier at 16:30.

This death certificate shows the Queen had died at 15:10, more than three hours before the news was publicly released.

During that afternoon, following earlier reports of concern about the Queen's health, her children and grandchildren had rushed to Balmoral.

Buckingham Palace had confirmed in a statement of 12:32 that there were health concerns - but that the Queen was "comfortable" and "under medical supervision".

King Charles - then Prince Charles - and his sister Princess Anne had already been in Scotland.

But other members of the Royal Family travelled by air that afternoon, including Prince William.

The timings would now suggest that their flight was still on its way to Aberdeen airport at the time of the Queen's death.

After the drive from the airport, Prince William, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie arrived at Balmoral at about 17:00.

The stark details of the death certificate record the Queen's status as "widowed" and give some family details.

It requires the names and occupations of parents - her father formally recorded as Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor, whose occupation was King George VI, her mother as Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, who was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

The death had been recorded by the local registrar in Aberdeenshire on 16 September, when the Queen was lying in state in Westminster Hall in London.

The Queen's death certificate was released on the same day that the public was able to see her final resting place for the first time.

Hundreds queued outside Windsor Castle to view the King George VI memorial chapel, inside St George's Chapel, where a ledger stone inscribed with the late monarch's name lies.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Following Massive Investor Demand: SK Hynix Raises 26.5 Billion Dollars on Nasdaq
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
After Four Years, and Under a Heavy Veil of Secrecy: King Charles Meets His Grandchildren, Harry and Meghan's Children
Cross-Party MPs Call for National Climate Emergency Broadcast
Bayeux Tapestry Arrives in the United Kingdom for Landmark Exhibition
United Kingdom Launches Modern Slavery Prevention Programme in Vietnam
Police Warn Against Misinformation Following Disorder in Glasgow
Pension Reform Takes Effect to Consolidate Workplace Savings Industry
Treasury and Bank of England Monitor Economy as Energy Price Pressures Ease
Government Orders Treasury Reform of Disciplinary Procedures Following Civil Servant's Death
Ofcom to Require Major Technology Platforms to Block Scam Advertisements
Labour Apologizes Over Gaza Position in Bid to Rebuild Support
High Court Rules UK-France Asylum Agreement Protection Cuts Were Unlawful
Metropolitan Police Open Murder Investigation Into Death of Former MP Ann Widdecombe
University College London Report Proposes Replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty With National Property Tax
Treasury Places Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle Under New UK Financial System Oversight Rules
Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union
Westminster in Freefall as Farage's By-Election Gamble Triggers Broader Systemic Crises
Institutional Fractures and Political Volatility Reshape Britain's Domestic Landscape
Deadly Fire, Health Emergencies and Political Upheaval Shape a Volatile Global News Cycle
UK Energy Strategy Focuses on Storage and Offshore Wind to Support Renewable Transition
Regional Governments Gain Greater Role in Britain’s Infrastructure and Economic Strategy
Britain Strengthens Technology Sovereignty Through Tougher Artificial Intelligence Competition Rules
UK Government Expands Artificial Intelligence Use Across Public Services Despite Privacy Debate
UK Universities Warn of Financial Pressure After Sharp Fall in International Student Enrolment
Welsh Government Completes Rail Nationalisation With One Point Five Billion Pound Modernisation Plan
Northern Ireland Records Export Growth as Companies Benefit From Dual UK and EU Market Access
Greater Manchester Launches Two Billion Pound Plan to Convert Empty Commercial Sites Into Housing
National Grid Connects Europe’s Largest Battery Storage Facility in Yorkshire
UK Defence Ministry Plans Royal Navy Autonomous Fleet Deployment to Indo-Pacific
Scotland Approves Europe’s Largest Floating Offshore Wind Project Near Aberdeen
Competition and Markets Authority Blocks Forty Billion Pound Technology Deal Over AI Security Concerns
UK Launches Five Hundred Million Pound Artificial Intelligence Network for National Health Service Diagnostics
Bank of England Signals Possible Interest Rate Cuts After Inflation Falls Below Target
UK Government Unveils Major Wealth Tax Reform to Fund National Health Service Infrastructure Expansion
Flight Instructor Jumped to His Death — Student Landed the Plane: "You Know What You Need to Do"
The Physical and Electronic Barriers Disrupting Domestic Wireless Networks
France and Morocco Open World Cup Quarter-Finals as Collina Defends Refereeing
Prince Harry Suffers Major Court Defeat in Legal Battle Against Daily Mail Publisher
Bonnie Tyler, Welsh Singer Behind Total Eclipse of the Heart, Dies at 75
Barclays and PwC Report Examines Economic Opportunities from Financial Asset Tokenisation
Pound Sterling Strengthens as Investors Anticipate Further Bank of England Rate Increases
British Business Bank Invests Twenty-Seven Million Pounds in Kraken Technology Defence Expansion
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle Backs State Investment Strategy Inspired by US Approach
UK Electricity System Issues Margin Notice as Heatwave Tightens Evening Supply Outlook
Labour Leadership Contest Opens as Andy Burnham Emerges as Expected Sole Candidate
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
×