Philip broke record as Britain’s longest-serving consort

The Duke of Edinburgh was the longest-serving consort in British history.

Philip overtook the record of 57 years and 70 days set by Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, on April 18 2009.

Queen Charlotte – born Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – married George III in 1761 after he acceded the throne. She died before him in 1818.

Philip’s duties as consort began on February 6 1952 when his young wife, Princess Elizabeth, became Queen.

He was also the oldest serving partner of a reigning monarch.

In February 2013, the duke became the oldest ever male member of the royal family.

He overtook the record set by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn – Queen Victoria’s third and favourite son – who died in 1942 aged 91 years and 260 days.

He was also the third longest living member of the British royal family in history, following Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester who lived to 102, the Queen Mother who was 101.

He overtook Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, who was 97 and 10 months when she died in 1981, to reach third place in April 2019.

Philip was at the Queen’s side when she became the longest-reigning monarch in British history, overtaking Queen Victoria’s record of 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes, on September 9 2015.

He viewed his own such achievements in the same way as his wife, who declared as she reached her historic milestone: “Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception.”

In October 2016, the Queen became the longest-reigning still-serving monarch in the world after the death of the revered king of Thailand.day

The duke did not hold the title Prince Consort, which was given by Queen Victoria to her husband, Prince Albert.

Albert, who was the duke’s great-great-grandfather, was the second-longest-serving husband of a reigning monarch.

But he only acted as consort for 21 years before dying prematurely at the age of 42.

Philip was made the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich by King George VI shortly before his marriage to Princess Elizabeth in 1947.

Ten years later, the Queen made him a Prince of the United Kingdom.