Twenty-eight 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 17 octogenarians. Of the British royals who have lived to 80 years or longer, 20 have been women and 8 have been men. Eighteen 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), was a member 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 tenth 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
All persons are listed by their British royal titles by birth, grant, or by marriage; however, some are better known by other titles.
Chronology of longest-living British royal family members
Name[b] | Portrait | Relation | Lifespan[c] | Duration | Years as record-holder | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
By | To | From | To | (days) | (years, days) | From | To | ||
George I | Blood | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | 28 May 1660 | 1 June 1727 | 24,484 | 67 years, 14 days | ― | 1750 | |
George II | Blood | George I [79] | 9 November 1683 [80] | 25 October 1760 [81] | 28,109 | 76 years, 351 days | 1750 | 1815 | |
George III | Blood | Frederick, Prince of Wales [65] | 4 June 1738 [65] | 29 January 1820 [65][66] | 29,823 | 81 years, 239 days | 1815 | 1879 | |
Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge | Marriage | Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge [33] | 25 July 1797 [34] | 6 April 1889 [34] | 33,492 | 91 years, 255 days | 1879 | 1914 | |
Princess Augusta of Cambridge | Blood | Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge [26] | 19 July 1822 [26] | 5 December 1916 [27] | 34,472 | 94 years, 139 days | 1914 | 1977 | |
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 | 1977 | 1998 | |
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother | Marriage | George VI [16] | 4 August 1900 [16] | 30 March 2002 [16] | 37,128 | 101 years, 238 days | 1998 | 2003 | |
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 | 2003 | Present |