List of longest-living members of the British royal family
Twenty-nine members of the British royal family[a] have lived to the age of 80 years or older since the Acts of Union 1707 established the Kingdom of Great Britain. These British royal family members consist of 2 centenarians, 9 nonagenarians, and 18 octogenarians.
Of the British royals who have lived to 80 years or longer, 21 have been women and 8 have been men. Nineteen of the 28 royals aged 80 or older have been members of the British royal family by blood and 9 have been members through marriage. Of the royals to reach the age of 80 or older, only Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1776–1857) and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021), were members of the British royal family by both blood and marriage. Four of the British royals who lived 80 years or longer were deprived of their British peerages and royal titles in 1919 under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 as the children or spouses of enemies of the United Kingdom during World War I and are indicated below with asterisks (*).[7]
The longest-living member of the British royal family has been Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (1901–2004), who lived to 102 years and 239 days old .[8][9][10][11] The longest-living member of the British royal family from birth is Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1883–1981). Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900–2002) is the second-longest living British royal, living to 101 years and 238 days old.[12] The current oldest living member of the British royal family is Katharine, Duchess of Kent (born 1933), who is the ninth longest-living British royal. Elizabeth II (1926–2022), was the longest-ever reigning British monarch (70 years, 214 days) and the fifth longest-living royal (96 years, 140 days).[13][14]
List of British royal family members by lifespan
[edit]All persons are listed below by their British royal titles by birth, grant, or by marriage. However, some of these individuals are better known by other titles.
Rank | Name[b] | Portrait | Relation | Lifespan[c] | Duration | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
By | To | From | To | (days) | (years, days) | |||
1 | Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester |
Marriage | Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester [15] |
25 December 1901 [15] |
29 October 2004 [15] |
37,564 | 102 years, 309 days | |
2 | Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother |
Marriage | George VI [16] |
4 August 1900 [16] |
30 March 2002 [16] |
37,128 | 101 years, 238 days | |
3 | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh [d] |
Blood and marriage | Elizabeth II [19][20] |
10 June 1921 [19][20] |
9 April 2021 [21] |
36,463 | 99 years, 303 days | |
4 | Princess Alice of Albany |
Blood | Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany [22] |
25 February 1883 [22] |
3 January 1981 [23] |
35,741 | 97 years, 313 days | |
5 | Elizabeth II | Blood | George VI [14][24] |
21 April 1926 [14][24] |
8 September 2022 [25] |
35,204 | 96 years, 140 days | |
6 | Princess Augusta of Cambridge |
Blood | Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge [26] |
19 July 1822 [26] |
5 December 1916 [27][28] |
34,472 | 94 years, 139 days | |
7 | Katharine, Duchess of Kent |
Marriage | Prince Edward, Duke of Kent [29] |
22 February 1933 [30] |
Alive | 33,501 | 91 years, 264 days | |
8 | Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn |
Blood | Victoria [31] |
1 May 1850 [31] |
16 January 1942 [32] |
33,497 | 91 years, 260 days | |
9 | Princess Louise | Blood | Victoria [33] |
18 March 1848 [33] |
3 December 1939 [34] |
33,496 | 91 years, 260 days | |
10 | Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge |
Marriage | Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge [35] |
25 July 1797 [36] |
6 April 1889 [36] |
33,492 | 91 years, 255 days | |
11 | Prince George William of Cumberland * |
— | Blood | Prince Ernest Augustus of Cumberland * [6][37] |
25 March 1915 [37] |
8 January 2006 [37] |
33,162 | 90 years, 289 days |
12 | Prince Edward, Duke of Kent |
Blood | Prince George, Duke of Kent [38][39] |
9 October 1935 [38][39] |
Alive | 32,542 | 89 years, 34 days | |
13 | Marie, Duchess of Cumberland and Teviotdale |
Marriage | Prince George, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale [40] |
14 April 1818 [40] |
9 January 1907 [40][41] |
32,411 | 88 years, 270 days | |
14 | Victoria Louise, Princess Ernest Augustus of Cumberland * |
Marriage | Prince Ernest Augustus of Cumberland * [42][43][44] |
13 September 1892 [44] |
11 December 1980 [45] |
32,230 | 88 years, 89 days | |
15 | Princess Alexandra of Kent |
Blood | Prince George, Duke of Kent [46][47] |
25 December 1936 [46][47] |
Alive | 32,099 | 87 years, 323 days | |
16 | Princess Patricia of Connaught |
Blood | Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn [48] |
17 March 1886 [48] |
12 January 1974 [49] |
32,077 | 87 years, 301 days | |
17 | Princess Beatrice | Blood | Victoria [50] |
14 April 1857 [50] |
26 October 1944 [51] |
31,971 | 87 years, 195 days | |
18 | Queen Mary | Marriage | George V [52] |
26 May 1867 [53] |
24 March 1953 [54] |
31,348 | 85 years, 302 days | |
19 | Prince George, Duke of Cambridge |
Blood | Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge [55] |
26 March 1819 [55] |
17 March 1904 [56] |
31,037 | 84 years, 357 days | |
20 | Victoria Adelaide, Duchess of Albany * |
Marriage | Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany * [57] |
31 December 1885 [58] |
3 October 1970 [58] |
30,956 | 84 years, 276 days | |
21 | Prince Michael of Kent |
Blood | Prince George, Duke of Kent [59] |
4 July 1942 [59] |
Alive | 30,082 | 82 years, 131 days | |
22 | Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh |
Blood | Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh [60] |
20 April 1884 [60] |
13 July 1966 [61] |
30,033 | 82 years, 84 days | |
23 | Victoria | Blood | Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn [62][63] |
24 May 1819 [62][63] |
22 January 1901 [63][64] |
29,828 | 81 years, 243 days | |
24 | George III | Blood | Frederick, Prince of Wales [65] |
4 June 1738 [65] |
29 January 1820 [65][66] |
29,823 | 81 years, 239 days | |
25 | Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh |
Blood and marriage | George III [67][68] |
25 April 1776 [68] |
30 April 1857 [68][69] |
29,589 | 81 years, 5 days | |
26 | Queen Alexandra | Marriage | Edward VII [70] |
1 December 1844 [71] |
20 November 1925 [72][73] |
29,573 | 80 years, 354 days | |
27 | Princess Alexandra of Cumberland * |
Blood | Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale * [74][75] |
29 September 1882 [74][75] |
30 August 1963 [74] |
29,554 | 80 years, 335 days | |
28 | Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale [e] |
Blood | George III [77] |
5 June 1771 [77] |
18 November 1851 [77][78] |
29,385 | 80 years, 166 days | |
29 | Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester | Blood | Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester [79] |
26 August 1944 [79] |
Alive | 29,298 | 80 years, 78 days |
See also
[edit]- List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign
- List of centenarians (royalty and nobility)
- List of longest-reigning monarchs
Notes
[edit]- ^ This list consists of British royal family members entitled (in the earliest cases retroactively) to the styles of His or Her Royal Highness or His or Her Majesty, as defined by Letters Patent in 1864,[1] 1898,[2] 1917,[3] 1996,[4] and 2012.[5] According to the aforementioned Letters Patent, British royal family members entitled to the style of Royal Highness are the children and male-line grandchildren of the British monarch and previous British monarchs,[1][3] the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales,[2][5] and all their current or widowed spouses.[4] This list also includes those male-line descendants of British monarchs who, prior to 1917, were entitled to the "style and attribute" of His or Her Highness with the designation of a "Prince (or Princess) of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."[6]
- ^ As this is a list of British royal family members, individuals are listed by their British royal title by birth, grant, or by marriage.
- ^ To maintain consistency within the table, the dates of birth and death are given in the New Style.
- ^ Letters Patent on 20 November 1947 entitled then Lieutenant Sir Philip Mountbatten to "hold and enjoy the title, style and attribute of Royal Highness."[17] Letters Patent on 22 February 1957 gave then Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, "the style and titular dignity of a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."[18]
- ^ On 23 April 1799, Prince Ernest Augustus was granted the "Names, Styles, and Titles of Duke of Cumberland, and of Teviotdale, in the Kingdom of Great Britain, and of Earl of Armagh, in the Kingdom of Ireland."[76]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "No. 22816". The London Gazette. 5 February 1864. p. 527.
- ^ a b "No. 26973". The London Gazette. 31 May 1898. p. 3388.
- ^ a b "No. 30428". The London Gazette. 14 December 1917. p. 13086.
- ^ a b "No. 54510". The London Gazette. 30 August 1996. p. 11603.
- ^ a b "No. 60384". The London Gazette. 8 January 2013. p. 213.
- ^ a b "No. 28850". The London Gazette. 17 July 1914. p. 5552.
- ^ "No. 31255". The London Gazette. 28 March 1919. p. 4000.
- ^ "Princess Alice dies aged 102". BBC News. 30 October 2004. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ "The longest-lived Royal in history". BBC News. 20 August 2003. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ "Oldest British Royal". Guinness World Records. 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Queen Mother dies". BBC News. 31 March 2002. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ Hamilton, Alan (2023-10-07). "Princess Alice sets record at 101 years, 239 days old". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
- ^ "Britain hails Queen Elizabeth II's longevity on the throne". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. 9 September 2015. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018 – via The Washington Post website.
- ^ a b c "About Her Majesty The Queen". The Royal Family website. The Royal Household. 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- ^ a b c "HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester". The Times. London. 1 November 2004. Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ a b c "Britain's Beloved 'Queen Mum,' A Symbol of Courage, Dies at 101". The New York Times. New York. 30 March 2002. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018 – via The New York Times Archives.
- ^ "No. 38128". The London Gazette. 21 November 1947. p. 5495.
- ^ "No. 41009". The London Gazette. 22 February 1957. p. 1209.
- ^ a b "Duke of Edinburgh: Naval officer, family man and tribal icon". BBC. 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ a b "About The Duke of Edinburgh". The Royal Family website. The Royal Household. 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- ^ Shields, Bevan (9 April 2021). "Prince Philip dies in Windsor Castle aged 99". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ a b "No. 25204". The London Gazette. 26 February 1883. p. 1099.
- ^ "Princess Alice, At London Home: A Grandchild of Queen Victoria". The New York Times. New York. 4 January 1981. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018 – via The New York Times Archives.
- ^ a b "No. 33153". The London Gazette. 21 April 1926. p. 2773.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth II has died". BBC News. 8 September 2022. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ a b "No. 17838". The London Gazette. 27 July 1822. p. 1233.
- ^ "Royal Link With The Past: The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz". The Times. London. 6 December 1916. p. 11. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Grandchild of George III: Death of Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz". Manchester Evening News. Manchester. 5 December 1916. p. 4. Retrieved 16 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (registration required)
- ^ "York's own royal wedding in 1961". The Press. York. 20 April 2011. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "About The Duchess of Kent". The Royal Family website. The Royal Household. 2018. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ a b "No. 21091". The London Gazette. 1 May 1850. p. 1265.
- ^ "Duke of Connaught Dead In England, 91". The New York Times. New York. 17 January 1942. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018 – via The New York Times Archives.
- ^ a b "No. 20838". The London Gazette. 18 March 1848. p. 1139.
- ^ "Queen Victoria's 91-Year-Old Daughter". Boston Globe. Boston. 5 December 1939. p. 16. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "No. 17365". The London Gazette. 2 June 1818. p. 997.
- ^ a b "Death of the Duchess of Cambridge". The Times. London. 8 April 1889. p. 9. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Versatile sportsman fostered Olympic ideal". The Gazette. Montreal. 17 January 2006. p. 30. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ a b "No. 34206". The London Gazette. 9 October 1935. p. 6371.
- ^ a b "About The Duke of Kent". The Royal Family website. The Royal Household. 2018. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ a b c "Death of the Queen of Hanover". The Times. London. 10 January 1907. p. 3. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Queen of Hanover". The Guardian. Manchester. 10 January 1907. p. 7. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "No. 28701". The London Gazette. 18 March 1913. p. 2055.
- ^ "To-Day's Royal Wedding". The Guardian. Manchester. 24 May 1913. p. 9. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Becker, Claudia (14 May 2013). "Die letzte große Adelsparty vor dem großen Krieg". Die Welt (in German). Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Kaiser's daughter". The Guardian. London. 13 December 1980. p. 3. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "No. 34354". The London Gazette. 28 December 1936. p. 8413.
- ^ a b "About Princess Alexandra". The Royal Family website. The Royal Household. 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- ^ a b "No. 25569". The London Gazette. 18 March 1886. p. 1343.
- ^ "Lady Patricia Ramsay Is Dead; Granddaughter of Victoria, 87". The New York Times. New York. 14 January 1974. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018 – via The New York Times Archives.
- ^ a b "No. 21988". The London Gazette. 14 April 1857. p. 1337.
- ^ "Passing of a Princess". The New York Times. New York. 27 October 1944. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018 – via The New York Times Archives.
- ^ "The Royal Wedding". The Times. London. 7 July 1893. p. 5. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Accouchement of the Princess Mary Adelaide de Teck". The Morning Post. London. 27 May 1867. p. 5. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "No. 39808". The London Gazette. 25 March 1953. p. 1713.
- ^ a b "No. 17466". The London Gazette. 6 April 1819. p. 612.
- ^ "Death of the Duke of Cambridge". The Times. London. 18 March 1904. p. 7. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "German Royal Wedding". The Guardian. Manchester. 11 October 1905. p. 6. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Family Tree: House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha". H.H. Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony. 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- ^ a b "No. 35623". The London Gazette. 7 July 1942. p. 2987.
- ^ a b "No. 25345". The London Gazette. 21 April 1884. p. 1803.
- ^ "Fallece en Sanlúcar de Barrameda La Infanta Beatriz de Sajonia Coburgo Gotha". ABC (in Spanish). 14 July 1966. p. 69. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ a b "No. 17480". The London Gazette. 25 May 1819. p. 905.
- ^ a b c "Victoria ( r. 1837-1901)". The Royal Family website. The Royal Household. 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- ^ "No. 27273". The London Gazette. 25 January 1901. p. 553.
- ^ a b c "George III (r. 1760-1820)". The Royal Family website. The Royal Household. 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- ^ "Death of King George the Third". The Morning Post. London. 31 January 1820. p. 2. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "No. 17156". The London Gazette. 23 July 1816. p. 1433.
- ^ a b c "Death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester". The Daily News. London. 1 May 1857. p. 4. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "No. 21994". The London Gazette. 30 April 1857. p. 1531.
- ^ "No. 22718". The London Gazette. 18 March 1863. p. 1563.
- ^ "Queen Alexandra: The Last of a Well-Loved Figure". The Guardian. Manchester. 21 November 1925. p. 15. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "No. 33106". The London Gazette. 21 November 1925. p. 7699.
- ^ "Death of Queen Alexandra". The Guardian. Manchester. 21 November 1925. p. 13. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Weir, Alison (2011). Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Random House. pp. 292–3. ISBN 978-1-4464-4911-0. OCLC 1004571113. Archived from the original on 2018-08-23 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "No. 25152". The London Gazette. 3 October 1882. p. 4459.
- ^ "No. 15126". The London Gazette. 20 April 1799. p. 372.
- ^ a b c "Death of The King of Hanover". The Standard. London. 19 November 1851. p. 2. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "No. 21265". The London Gazette. 21 November 1851. p. 3071.
- ^ a b "No. 36678". The London Gazette. 29 August 1944. p. 4017.