Oldest ever member of Royal Family unmasked ‒ it’s not Prince Philip or Queen Mother
Queen 'isn't superwoman' says royal expert
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Yesterday Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen, 95, will not attend the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow following medical advice to rest. A week earlier the monarch underwent preliminary medical checks in hospital after cancelling a royal visit to Northern Ireland. She did however resume public engagements yesterday by meeting ambassadors via video link from Windsor Castle.
Despite the Queen’s recent bout of ill health, she has generally been in good condition in her older age and hadn’t been admitted to hospital since 2013, when she suffered from symptoms of gastroenteritis.
The Queen is the longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch in British history and is due to celebrate her 70th year on the throne at next year’s Platinum Jubilee events in June.
However, another member of the Firm holds the record for the oldest royal ever.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Princess Alice became the oldest known royal in history when she reached the age of 101 years and 269 days on September 20, 2003.
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Alice was the daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch, who was Scotland’s largest land owner, and became a princess by marriage when she wedded Prince Henry in 1935.
Through her marriage, the princess became sister-in-law to both Edward VIII and George VI, and was also Queen Elizabeth II’s aunt.
Alice overtook Princess Leonilla of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn of Prussia who lived for 101 years and 268 days, to become the oldest ever royal.
She died in her sleep at the age of 102 years and 309 days on October 29, 2004 at Kensington Palace.
The second oldest ever member of the British Royal Family was The Queen Mother, who lived for 101 years and 238 days.
The Queen Mother was the wife of George VI, but was widowed at the age of 51.
In her later years she was a consistently popular member of the Royal Family and continued in public life until just months before her death on April 9 2002.
Tragically for the Queen, her mother died seven weeks after the death of her sister Princess Margaret, who suffered a stroke in February 2002.
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Philip is the third oldest ever British royal, having died in April this year, aged 99.
Philip married the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and became consort to the Queen from her ascension to the throne in February 1952 to his death, making him the longest serving consort in history.
The Queen is currently the fifth oldest British royal ever.
Next year she will likely become the first monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, having ascended to the throne at the age of just 25.
Throughout the year, Her Majesty and members of the Royal Family will undertake a variety of royal engagements in celebration of the historic occasion, culminating in the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.
The UK will enjoy an extended bank holiday from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 of June, which will include a number of public events and community activities.
There will also be a national moment of reflection on the Queen’s 70 years of service.
Ahead of next year’s Jubilee, a campaign known as The Queen’s Green Canopy has been launched, where people across the UK will be expected to ‘plant a tree for the jubilee’.
The campaign is designed to help the environment and make local areas greener.
In a statement Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “As we celebrate Her Majesty’s incredible 70 years of service, I encourage everyone to get behind this scheme and go ‘plant a tree for the Jubilee’”.
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