On Nov. 20, 1947, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip tied the knot, marking the beginning of what would become the longest royal marriage in history. Spanning the entirety of the late monarch's 70-year reign and then some, the couple's union was one built on love and acceptance.
The longest marriage recorded is an emerald wedding anniversary (90 years) between Karam and Kartari Chand, in the United Kingdom.
Recording longest marriages
The longest marriage recorded (although not officially recognized) is a granite wedding anniversary (90 years) between Karam and Kartari Chand, who both lived in the United Kingdom, but were married in India. Karam and Kartari Chand married in 1925 and died in 2016 and 2019 respectively.
Seventy years passed before the next royal scandal broke: Cecily of York attracted royal attention of the most unwelcome sort after marrying for love. After Henry VII married Elizabeth, her sister and the eldest daughter of Edward IV, Cecily was married in 1487 to John, Viscount Welles, the king's half-uncle.
NEW ORLEANS – Margery and Ira Milan married in January of 1942. Eighty-one years later, they're still together — she at 99 years of age, and he at 100. During a ceremony on Valentine's Day, Louisiana recognized the longevity of their love by naming the Milans the longest married couple in the state.
Zechariah and Shama'a have been married for 91 years. As Jewish orphans in Yemen, they married young to avoid being wed outside of their faith and culture. They survived extreme poverty and persecution, and were some of the first Yemeni Jews to move to Israel when the state was founded.
On 2 February 1984, a divorce was granted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA to Ida Stern, aged 91, and her husband Simon, 97. My great grandparents. My great grandfather. What they don't mention is it was his third marriage and all three wives had same birthday.
Royals have to get the Queen's permission to marry.
According to King George III's Royal Marriages Act of 1772, senior members of the royal families cannot marry someone who is divorced — or Catholic, for that matter. Marrying divorcées has been frowned upon by the British royal family for decades.
Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, her first cousin.
Queen Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840, according to National Geographic. The pair were first cousins who were in a loving relationship wherein they had nine children, according to the outlet.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip met when the young princess was 13 — and their love evolved into a 73-year marriage that lasted to his dying day. When Prince Philip died on April 9 at the age of 99, 2021, the Queen said goodbye to the love of her life.
Do you know about the shortest marriage ever? It lasted only three minutes. A couple in Kuwait got divorced three minutes after they got married. They had not even left the courthouse where they exchanged the vows when the bride tripped over and fell.
Gertrude Grubb Janeway (USA, b. 3 July 1909), was 18 when she married 81-year-old Union Civil War veteran, John Janeway on 9 June 1927 – an age difference of 63 years.
In a fit of rage, she rushed back to the courthouse and demanded a divorce from the judge. The judge agreed to her demands and granted her the divorce. The marriage of the newlywed couple was annulled after 3 minutes. This incident got known to be the shortest marriage in history.
According to relationship therapist Aimee Hartstein, LCSW, as it turns out, the first year really is the hardest—even if you've already lived together. In fact, it often doesn't matter if you've been together for multiple years, the start of married life is still tricky.
At the time Bhagwaan Singh was 120 years old and his wife Dhan Kaur was 122 years old. They celebrated their 100th wedding anniversary with their families. What is this? How to commemorate this monumental occasion?
Between 1926 and until his death in 1997, Wolfe married 28 different women. Some marriages remain unverified.
Scientists have identified Akhenaten, the “heretic” king who introduced monotheism to ancient Egypt, as Tutankhamun's father. Akhenaten first married Nefertiti, who was renowned for her great beauty, but had no sons so he then married his sister in an effort to have a son.
In Europe, the practice was most prevalent from the medieval era until the outbreak of World War I, but evidence of intermarriage between royal dynasties in other parts of the world can be found as far back as the Late Bronze Age.
Catherine, Princess of Wales GCVO (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne. Born in Reading, Catherine grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
The monarch isn't a fan of a deep bath either, she is said to bathe in “no more than seven inches of water”, according to royal author Brian Hoey for the Daily Mail. Seven inches is equivalent to 17.8 centimetres.
"Toilet"
If you're looking for a restroom in Buckingham Palace, ask for the loo or the lavatory.
Monarchs have had an incentive to take mistresses in that they generally made dynastic marriages of convenience, and there was often little love in them. Beyond the physical relationship, the royal mistress has often exercised a profound influence over the king, extending even to affairs of state.
Berengaria of Castile married Conrad II, Duke of Swabia (aged 13/14), in 1187, when she was about 8-years-old. The marriage was never consummated due to her young age.
Nujood Ali (Arabic: نجود علي, born 1998) is a central figure in Yemen's movement against forced marriage and child marriage. At the age of ten, she obtained a divorce, breaking with the tribal tradition.
Other states are faster than others at this. Alaska is notoriously fast at finalizing a divorce. Alaska, Nevada, and South Dakota can usually finalize a divorce in just under two months. Of course, each divorce is different and your particular circumstances could cause a delay.