A disappearance that shocked the world. On Thursday September 8, the Queen of England passed away “peacefully” at the age of 96 in her Balmoral castle in Scotland. Hours before her death, the UK held its breath as Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen’s doctors were “concerned” about her condition and “recommended that she be placed under medical supervision”.
Despite fragile health, Elizabeth II had welcomed, two days before, the new British Prime Minister Liz Truss in her Scottish residence. A public appearance which caused a reaction when an image of the meeting, unveiled on social networks, suggested the blackened hand of the sovereign. What could be the cause of this hematoma?
Questioned by Planet, the doctor Benjamin Potencier explains to us that there could be several hypotheses. “It may be due to a fall. You have to know that at this age, the skin thins out enormously. And, that the vessels become very fragile”. This explains the formation of a fairly spontaneous hematoma.
Still, the Lyon-based practitioner questions the Queen’s treatment. “Maybe she was taking medication that promotes bruising.” Finally, the dark color on the hand could be due to a shock or a blood test. “An infusion, made on the back of the hand and that we could not prick it elsewhere. That is possible to rehydrate it, to put certain products and that creates this kind of mark”.
The disappearance of Charles III’s mother also raises other hypotheses around plausible causes. With an advanced age, the nonagenarian still seemed in good shape during her jubilee celebrated last June. “Being very socially surrounded, psychologically stimulated and food are the three main factors of this longevity”, according to Dr Potencier.
But, three months later, how can one explain a decline in his health? “An infectious episode” could be the cause according to the geriatrician who details us. “Bronchitis, pneumonia can be very fatal in this age group”.
According to some colleagues, the disappearance of Queen Elizabeth could be linked to a natural death. But, is it really possible? “I don’t know what natural death is,” quips Benjamin Potencier before continuing. “Contrary to popular belief, it is very rare for people to die of old age”, except among centenarians. According to this geriatrician, the death of a nonagenarian “is always due to organ failure”.
For his part, the columnist of TPMP, Bertrand Deckers, assured that the monarch would have died of a stroke. “In patients over 90-100 years old, it is often cancer, either a stroke or an infection,” said doctor Benjamin Potencier. But, a mystery remains: will we really know what the sovereign died of? “We will not really know the cause”, supposes the doctor. “Finally, I believe intimately that certain doctors close to the queen know the real cause of death. But, officially, we will never know”.
In the end, this Thursday, September 29, the National Archives of Scotland made public the death certificate of Queen Elizabeth II. We learn that she died of “natural death” at “3:10 p.m. UK time, about three hours before it was announced to the media. It was his daughter, Princess Anne, who signed the register. The latter had remained at her mother’s bedside until her last moments.