Prince Philip Is Now Queen Victoria's Oldest Ever Living Descendent

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

From Town & Country

When it comes to the royal family, longevity could be in the gene pool. Queen Victoria lived to be 81 years old, an impressive feat for her time. Now, at 97, Prince Philip is her oldest-ever living descendent.

The Duke of Edinbugh just passed Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone for that title.

Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, was Queen Victoria's last surviving grandchild, and she died in January of 1981 at the age of 97.

According to the obituary in the New York Times, her great-niece, Queen Elizabeth II, "received the news of her great-aunt's death 'with great sadness.'"

The two women were reportedly close. "She was popular with Queen Elizabeth, who telephoned her frequently and invited her to most royal events," reads the obit.

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

As Prince Philip approaches his 98th birthday this June, he holds several longevity titles. He's currently the oldest living member and the longest-living male member of the British royal family ever.

He's also now the third longest-living British royal, behind Princess Alice, the Duchess of Gloucester, who lived to be 102 years old, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who lived to be 101 years old.

Prince Philip retired from official duties in August of 2017, and while he has appeared at several events over the past year, including both Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie's weddings, in general, he's keeps his public schedule pretty free, reportedly operating on a "wake up and see how I feel basis," per the Telegraph.

At 97, that's well within his rights.

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