money Exclusive: Duke of Edinburgh’s official cause of death recorded as ‘old age’
The Duke of Edinburgh’s cause of death was officially recorded as “old age”, the Telegraph can reveal.
Prince Philip, 99, passed away “peacefully” on April 9 at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace announced at the time but declined to provide further details.
The death certificate reveals that his death was certified by Sir Huw Thomas, head of the royal medical household, who was knighted earlier this year.
He declared the cause simply as “old age”, an accepted description if the patient is over 80 and if the doctor has personally cared for them for a long period, observing a gradual decline.
It suggests that there was no other identifiable disease or injury that contributed to the death, including the heart condition that forced him to undergo a surgical procedure just weeks before he died.
The Duke’s death was registered with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead by his private secretary, Brigadier Archie Miller-Bakewell, four days later on April 13.
The certificate gives a nod to the Duke’s Greek heritage heritage as well as his own surname, Mountbatten, which he is said to have fought for the royal family to use.
It lists the Duke’s full name as: “His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh formerly known as Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark formerly known as Philip Mountbatten.”
The Duke’s first listed occupation is Naval Officer, a successful career of which he was enormously proud, and Prince of the United Kingdom.
His second is “husband of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, The Sovereign.”
As the informant, Mr Miller-Bakewell’s qualification was listed as “causing the body to be buried”.
Mr Miller-Bakewell headed a small team of loyal staff who walked behind the Duke’s coffin as it made its way to St George’s Chapel from Windsor Castle for his funeral on April 17.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the council has requested all deaths to be registered by telephone.
While it is normally a relative who registers a death, anyone who was present at the death, an occupant of the house where the death occurred or the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors, is permitted to do so.
There is a legal requirement to register the death within five days.
