Old Age As Cause Of Death On Certificate

[barry1010]

According the news Prince Philip's death certificate states he died of old age. Can that be true?

[emmie]

he had a heart conditio, but didn't as far as the news goes, have a heart attack, i don't see why it can't be his cause of death.

[Sqad]

Yes.

[satprof]

My Father-in-law's Death Certificate, back in 2004, says exactly that. (I have a feeling that this became permissible in the 1990s, but it's only a vague memory.)

[davebro]

Maybe at that age multiple parts of the body can cease to function properly. If no single cause can be identified then "old age" seems logical.

[youngmafbog]

Only if aged over 80.

Probably not many with this on the cert this last year though. Perhaps someone might like to prove me wrong?

[barry1010]

That's all. My grandmother was 10 days short of her 100th birthday when she died and her death certificate said pneumoni. I didn't think people died of 'old age' in itself, I thought there had to be medical problems

[Sqad]

/////Can that be true?////

Just read your post again and it is ambiguous.
Do you mean did he really die of old age OR is old age a legal cause of death,

My answer needs a mending...yes, old age is a legal cause of death, but not the only cause in his case.

[AuntPollyGrey]

I would have thought 'Heart Failure' covered all bases to be honest. Even if you have Cancer if your heart fails , that is surely cause of death.

[Sqad]

APG....no it isn't.

[douglas9401]

Not a hint of Covid then?

That's just for the lower orders

[emmie]

they were in a bubble for the duration, with some staff, so little or no chance of catching covid i would have thought.

[AuntPollyGrey]

I doubt anyone other than the inner circles of the Royal Family have seen Pricne Philips Death Cerfificate. When you are the physician to the Queens husband, I guess you write what you are told to write.

[bednobs]

aren't death certificates public records?

[anneasquith]

Why would it not be a cause of death. A death certificate can have more than one ‘ cause of death ‘ .

[Spungle]

A death certificate would normally have a specified cause of death, and also any contributing factors.

[barry1010]

Thanks once again. I have found this which I this is very interesting and s.4.3 has explained it very well but still throws up a question - it states the doctor must not be aware of any identifiable disease that contributed to his death but Prince Philip had been ill for a long time with heart problems
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877302/guidance-for-doctors-completing-medical-certificates-of-cause-of-death-covid-19.pdf

[THECORBYLOON]

I found out that Monarchs' deaths are not registered, meaning there will be no certificates showing causes of deaths.

[Spungle]

It's very common for older people who have recently had hospital treatment and been in the recent care of a doctor to have a fairly "vague" cause of death. The reason being that, without a post mortem, it can be impossible to make an informed judgment on the cause of death. It used to be common to see "senile decay" on a death certificate.

[barry1010]

His death has been registered with The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

[Spungle]

That's interesting, Corbyloon, but was Prince Philip a "monarch"?