Queen Elizabeth II – What health problems did Her Majesty endure throughout her life?

Queen Elizabeth II's reign has come to an end, and what a remarkable reign it has been.

She was the longest-lived British monarch in terms of age and longest-reigning monarch. The Queen's unwavering commitment to royal engagements over the years was a testament to her robust health, but she suffered from several ailments throughout her life.

In 2003, it was revealed that the Queen underwent surgery to remove a torn cartilage from her right knee. However, her steely determination brought her back to royal engagements in no time.

Buckingham Palace released a statement at the time saying: “The Queen is expected to be fully active within a few weeks. Her Majesty will rest at Sandringham for the next two weeks and then resume a limited program of engagements until she has fully recovered."

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However, in 2018 it was reported that the Queen's knee was causing her grief again.

A Palace source said at the time: “She was talking to friends at the Chelsea Flower Show and said her knees were a problem. But she is reluctant to have surgery because of the time it would take to recover. She is very brave."

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"People from her generation and Philip's generation struggle with problems and move on. And Her Majesty does not like to cause a stir." That same year, the British monarch underwent a cataract procedure. Cataracts are when the lens, a small transparent disc inside your eye, develops cloudy spots.

The Queen went back to work immediately. It would have been understandable for the Queen to pull back on some of her royal engagements while she recovered from her surgery. However, wearing sunglasses at a royal engagement soon after, the royal sent a clear signal that she was ready as usual.

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A year ago, concerns were raised about the Queen's health after she caught a cold. The Queen missed services on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, which she usually attends with other members of the royal family.

However, fears were allayed after she attended a morning church service at St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, Norfolk. Buckingham Palace said she was "recovering" from a bad cold at the time.

Her Majesty's extraordinary determination was demonstrated following the death of Prince Philip in 2021. The Queen returned to royal duties just four days after the Duke of Edinburgh's death. Prince Philip died shortly after spending 13 nights at King Edward VII Hospital in central London before being transferred to St Bartholomew's Hospital.

Buckingham Palace released a statement at the time confirming that the Duke "died peacefully" at Windsor Castle. In November last year, Prince Charles spoke about his mother's health after she was briefly hospitalized and later forced to cancel her appearance at the annual Remembrance Day celebration.

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"She's fine, thank you very much," the Prince of Wales told Sky News at the time. “Once you get to 95, it's not as easy as it used to be. It's pretty bad at 73”. The Queen has retired from public duties since 2020 – a precedent set by Queen Victoria.

In September this year it was announced that the Queen was under medical supervision at Balmoral after doctors became concerned about her health.

The statement came from Buckingham Palace: "Following further assessments this morning, the Queen's doctors are concerned about Her Majesty's health and have recommended that she remain under medical supervision."

Since then, Buckingham Palace has released a statement confirming that Queen Elizabeth II has "passed away peacefully" on September 8, 2022. /Telegraph/