Last photo with Queen Elizabeth II: What's behind the dark spot on her hand?
Created: 09/12/2022, 16:01
By: Franziska Kaindl
The last pictures of Queen Elizabeth II were taken two days before her death. A dark blue spot on her hand is striking.
Where does this come from?
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96 at her summer residence, Balmoral Castle.
Her last public appearance took place there just two days earlier, when she received the new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss.
In the pictures of the encounter, a dark blue spot on the Queen's hand catches the eye.
Shortly thereafter, speculation arose as to what the discoloration could be.
What is the dark blue stain on the Queen's hand?
"Of course it is not 100 percent easy to recognize," explains Uta Schlossberger, specialist in dermatology and venereology, the online portal
t-online.de
.
"From my experience with older patients in the practice, however, this is a large hematoma.
People, especially those of advanced age, are very often prescribed blood thinners such as Marcumar or Ass.” These drugs serve to reduce the risk of heart attacks.
At the same time, however, one of the side effects is that people contract a large, flat hematoma more quickly when they bump into each other.
"Often just a small push or pressure is enough," says the doctor.
Queen Elizabeth II welcomes the new Prime Minister Liz Truss.
© Imago
The Berlin hand surgeon Dr.
Michael Lehnert suspects to
Bild.de
that it could be the result of a local circulatory disorder: "It's also possible to have a hematoma (bruise) after an infusion."
The Munich heart specialist Stefan Waller sees it similarly: "It clearly looks like the consequences of an intravenous access, a so-called Braunüle," the doctor told
Focus Online
.
Such access is used to supply people with medication intravenously.
“If you then remove this access, it can lead to a hematoma.
This is more common in older people in particular, as they have very fragile blood vessels that bleed more easily.” Australian doctor Deb Cohen-Jones also spoke to the
Daily Mail
of a possible circulatory disorder in the Queen, which can lead to heart or organ failure.
Raynaud's phenomenon, bruises, weak skin: the Queen's blue hands have long been the subject of speculation
In 2019, the Queen's hands turned blue at a reception for the Jordanian royal family at Buckingham Palace.
Something similar happened in 2021 when she felt British General Nick Carter with her.
At that time, the British newspaper
Metro
reported about it and asked the doctor Dr.
Jay Verma.
He explained: "It could be the Raynaud phenomenon or just very cold hands.
The purple color is due to deoxygenated blood.”
Ten blood pressure lowering foods
View photo gallery
Raynaud's syndrome describes circulatory disorders that primarily affect fingers.
They usually become pale and cold, and pain or numbness are also possible.
With regard to the dark discoloration of the hands, the general practitioner Dr.
Giuseppe Aragona gives several medical explanations to the online portal: "There could be various reasons why the queen's hands are so purple: lack of blood circulation, weak skin, exposed veins, bruising, leakage of blood into the tissue under the skin, the causing color.”
also read
Pancreatic cancer: These six warning signs can point to it
Lawn mower parents: Experts warn of the upbringing style because of the consequences for children
A perfect diagnosis of the blue discolouration is therefore not possible.
Nor can it be said that the Queen's IV treatment was related to her death, Wallner said.
Especially in the case of such old people, a relatively quick death can have various causes.
