Meet The World's Oldest Living Royals

With the best healthcare money can buy and loyal aides closely monitoring their every move, royals the world over are known for their longevity. It's therefore not out of the ordinary to see an esteemed aristocrat reach their late 90s or even celebrate their 100th birthday (and then some). 

Prince Philip, for instance, may have lived to 99, but he was by no means the oldest British royal of all time. Similarly, Queen Elizabeth II's death came as a shock; although she reached the grand old age of 96, many expected her to attain a similar centurial status as her mother, who died in 2002 aged 101. Perhaps this image of the death-defying monarch is shaped by public perceptions of the royals as otherworldly figures who are seemingly thus free from the frailties that afflict ordinary folk.

The same can be said for the aristocratic class across the globe. With 26 countries still maintaining constitutional monarchies, extreme old age is a phenomenon mirrored to varying degrees. Though members of many international dynasties enjoy lengthy and prosperous lives, their endurance is often contentious due to the disparity in quality of life seen among ordinary citizens. According to research by Bayes Business School, royals live 26% longer than the average person, something that other studies have attributed to a combination of good genes and better quality of life, including a more varied diet and regular exercise. These royals are proof that 90 is the new 80.

While the late Queen Elizabeth II was evidently never interested in giving up the throne so that King Charles III could succeed her, the same cannot be said for Beatrix of the Netherlands. After 33 years as queen, Beatrix abdicated to allow her son, Willem-Alexander, to take over in 2013. Born in 1938, Beatrix lived through WWII, during which time her parents took her to the United Kingdom, followed by Canada, to shield her from the horrors of war. In 1980, she ascended the throne following the abdication of her own mother, Queen Juliana. But her coronation was controversial, with protests sweeping the nation in opposition to public spending on lavish events at a time when homelessness was rife.

During her lengthy reign, she suffered a number of tragic losses. In 2002, her husband, Prince Claus, died aged 76 following a history of Parkinson's disease, heart problems, and depression. Then, in 2013, she suffered another blow when her 44-year-old son, Prince Friso, died 18 months after a catastrophic skiing accident left him comatose. She had reportedly visited her ailing son every weekend in the hospital before he succumbed to his injuries.

According to the 2021 documentary "Beatrix: The Queen Who Gave Up The Crown" (via Express), Beatrix found solace in fellow elderly royal Queen Elizabeth II, with the two women reportedly suffering from loneliness as the years passed them by. "They're united by being quite lonely at the top," said journalist Tina Adebayo.

Juan Carlos I of Spain abdicated so that his son, Felipe VI, could ascend the throne. The royal, who was born in 1938, gave up his monarchical duties in 2014 after spending just shy of 40 years in power. Despite enjoying a long reign free from controversy (for the most part), he was embroiled in a number of scandals toward the end of his tenure as king. 

In 2020, he faced allegations of historic misuse of public money. As reported by Politico, he went on luxury trophy-hunting vacations while Spain was suffering from the aftermath of a recession, allegedly sent $100 million (originally gifted by Saudi royals) to his rumored lover, and apparently hid away millions in untaxed funds. Subsequently, he went into exile in Abu Dhabi. Two years later, he re-emerged in Spain, albeit fleetingly, to a frosty reception. "This is someone who did a very good job, politically, and then at the end of his reign made a series of terrible personal and professional mistakes," royal author Ana Romero told Politico. "[In Spain] he is not having to pay a legal price for what he has done, but there are things that he has to pay for morally."

Despite his advanced age, Juan has apparently enjoyed an active love life. In 2021, The Times reported that the Spanish secret service administered hormones to diminish his libido, which was apparently causing issues for the state.

Born in 1937, King Harald V has ruled Norway since 1991. Harald has close ties to the British royal family; he is second cousins with the late Queen Elizabeth II and expressed his immense sorrow when she died in 2022. But while the Windsor clan typically plays by the rules — save for the rebellious Prince Harry — Harald has been known to break royal tradition. In 1968, he caused quite a stir when he wed Queen Sonja, then known as Sonja Haraldsen, as she was a commoner. But the couple has enjoyed a happy marriage for over 50 years, proudly defying convention.

Following a long reign relatively free from calamity, the king was united in grief with the nation following the July 2011 terror attacks, in which white supremacist Anders Breivik murdered 77 people. In an interview with The New York Times that year, Harald reflected on presiding over a nation in mourning. "I felt very helpless, really," he said. "All these families who had either just got someone back from this or had just got the message that they weren't coming back; it was a very strange atmosphere. Wherever you turned there were people in grief."

He may be approaching 90, but the king has championed progressive causes in recent years, showing solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and refugees. In 2021, he marked 30 years as king, though he's been unable to perform many of his duties of late due to ill health.

King Harald V's wife, Queen Sonja, is also an elderly royal, having been born in 1937. Initially a reluctant queen, Sonja admitted that she used to regret her decision to devote herself to a life of royal duties. "When adversity comes, one wishes one had chosen differently, but that is how it is for everyone," she revealed in the book "Norway's First Ladies" (via Hello!). But in addition to serving her country, she has always made time for her own hobbies and interests.

An avowed lover of the arts, she founded an art scholarship in 2011. Now in her late 80s, she is showing no signs of slowing down, having opened her own gallery in 2021.

Despite enjoying a royal career generally free from contention, she generated headlines in 2022 when she claimed that Americans have little understanding of the importance of the monarchy. The remarks were made in reference to her daughter, Princess Märtha Louise, leaving royal duties behind in order to be with her boyfriend, American conspiracy theorist and self-styled shaman Durek Verrett. "Americans have no idea what a kingdom is. So it's no wonder he doesn't realize," she said at a press conference (via Hello!). "Americans don't understand the bearing of this here. They don't. He thought he could do whatever he wanted without compromising us at all." However, she did add that she is happy for her daughter and gets on well with Verrett despite their differing opinions and values.

Princess Alexandra of Kent, aka the Honourable Lady Ogilvy, is Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin (her father, the Duke of Kent, was King George VI's brother). Born in 1936, the octogenarian aristocrat has led a colorful life, having lived through a world war and two coronations.

She shared a close bond with Elizabeth, who gifted her clothing during WWII. "They were very kind to me, my cousins — I think it was Princess Elizabeth mainly — they let me have one or two of their dresses," she revealed in the documentary "Elizabeth At 90 – A Family Tribute" (via the Daily Mail). At 11, she was a bridesmaid at Elizabeth and Prince Philip's 1947 wedding. Years later, in 1963, the queen's 13-year-old daughter Anne would serve as a bridesmaid at Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy's nuptials. Sadly, she would outlive her husband by two decades, with Angus dying in 2004, aged 76, due to complications from throat cancer. Poignantly, he died the day after his wife's 68th birthday.

Having been a working royal for most of her life, Alexandra was always ready to help out whenever Elizabeth needed her to step in for royal duties. For instance, when the queen began suffering from mobility issues and ill health in 2022, Alexandra took her place at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party. "Alexandra was the closest thing that the Queen had to a sister," reflected royal expert Daisy McAndrew in the documentary "Princess Alexandra: The Queen's Confidante" (via Express).

Prince Edward has enjoyed considerable longevity. Born in 1935, he inherited the title of Duke of Kent when he was just 7, following the untimely wartime death of his father, Prince George.

As with Alexandra, Edward was tirelessly loyal to his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. On numerous occasions throughout the queen's reign, he supported her with the utmost devotion. He paid homage at her 1953 coronation, a role that the then-teenager found daunting. "My chief anxiety was that I would forget my lines," he wrote in his memoir, "A Royal Life." "I had been given the impression that I had to remember them so I had learned them by heart." Over half a century later, he stood by the queen's side on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the Trooping of the Colour in 2022, exemplifying his unyielding duty.

Edward has proven himself a highly resilient royal. In 2013, the then 77-year-old suffered a stroke. However, a spokesperson revealed that the elderly duke was already on the road to recovery. "My understanding is he's feeling well and looking forward to resuming official engagements as soon as possible," they said, per The Herald Scotland. To this day, he continues his princely duties. In 2022, he became the only royal to walk the funeral procession for both the queen and King George VI. The following year, he attended King Charles III's coronation, having done the same for Charles' mother 70 years earlier.

As the wife of the former Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko served Japan from 1989 until 2019, when her son, Naruhito, took over monarchical duties. A member of the Imperial House of Japan, the oldest monarchy in the world, she was born in 1934 and wed Akihito in 1959. The marriage caused a scandal due to the couple's differing social status; although Michiko is the daughter of a millionaire industrialist, she was regarded as a commoner, with traditionalists arguing that royal marriages should always be arranged. There were even death threats made against her family at the time.

Eventually, however, the public came to embrace Michiko and she became a popular figure, lauded for defying stuffy convention. In 2009, Japan celebrated Michiko and Akihito's 50th wedding anniversary. "Fifty years ago when I left an ordinary family to join the new environment of the imperial family, my heart was filled with uncertainty and anxiety," Michiko said, per Reuters. "For me to be here today by his majesty's side, welcoming our golden wedding anniversary, truly seems to be as if in a dream."

Though she suffered some setbacks during her reign — namely a number of stress-related ailments — Michiko is still going strong. In October 2022, she celebrated her 88th birthday and it was reported by Kyodo News that she still keeps up her daily routine despite a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis some months prior.

In 2019, Akihito became the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in 200 years. During his 30-year reign, he was a progressive figure. In keeping with Japan's postwar pacifist stance, he devoted much of his sovereignty to educating others on the perniciousness of ultranationalism, having lived through WWII as a youngster. "That time produced in him strong feelings against war and its chaos. You could call it a hatred of war," his childhood friend, Mototsugu Akashi, told NPR. Notably, he refused to ever visit the Yasukuni shrine, a memorial in Tokyo, as it has long been deemed a commendation of war criminals. On the 70th anniversary of the Surrender of Japan in 2015, he expressed deep remorse over the country's war crimes.

Following his abdication, he implored the young people of Japan to never forget the carnage that occurred during WWII. "It is important not to forget that countless lives were lost in the second world war," he said, per The Guardian. "And that the peace and prosperity of postwar Japan was built upon the numerous sacrifices and tireless efforts made by the Japanese people, and to pass on this history accurately to those born after the war."

In 2022, he turned 89, and while he may be close to 100, Akihito enjoys all his usual pastimes. Namely, he is continuing with his lifelong research into goby fish and, in 2021, discovered two new varieties while studying at the Biological Laboratory at the Imperial Palace.

Albert II reigned as King of Belgium from 1993 to 2013. Though born into privilege, he didn't have the easiest start in life. Born in June 1934, his mother, Queen Astrid, was killed in a car accident a little over a year later. She was just 29. Then, he lived through the horrors of war when he was a young boy, having been deported from Belgium to Germany in 1944.

After his childless brother, King Baudouin, died on vacation in Spain in 1993, Albert was crowned king. His reign was blighted by scandal. In 1999, there were allegations that he fathered a lovechild, Delphine Boel, with noblewoman Sybille, Baroness de Selys Longchamps, with whom he reportedly had an affair in the '60s. When she attempted to track her father down, Boel claimed that the king rebuked her. "You must never call me again," he allegedly said, per The Independent. "I want to hear nothing of this whole thing any more. Besides, you are not my daughter." In 2020, a DNA test confirmed that Albert is indeed Boel's father.

Due to ill health, the then 79-year-old Albert abdicated in 2013, with his son, King Philippe, taking over. "I realize that my age and my health are no longer allowing me to carry out my duties as I would like to," he said, per the BBC. His health has continued to decline since then and he was hospitalized with dehydration and a blood infection in June 2023.