5 Longest Marriages in Royal Family History (No. 5 Lasted 41 years!)

And modern-day royal marriages haven't all been a bed of roses. King Charles III divorced his first wife, Princess Diana, Prince Andrew is divorced from Sarah Ferguson and Anne, Princess Royal is on her second marriage.

So, what are the longest royal marriages in history?

5. King Edward III and Queen Philippa of Hainault – 41 years

Edward was 15 when he married Phillipa, who was 2 years younger. Their engagement was the result of successful political manoeuvrings between Edward's mother, Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer to depose his father, Edward II.

Edward III was named king in January 1327. The king and queen were said to be good leaders and popular with their subjects. The marriage lasted for 41 years until Phillipa died in 1369. It was reported to be a generally happy marriage, although Edward took a mistress, Alive Perrers, who stayed with him after the queen's death.

4. King George V and Queen Mary of Teck – 42 years

Mary of Teck was originally engaged to George's brother Albert. When Albert died from pneumonia shortly before the wedding was due to take place, George's promising naval career ended as he became second in line to the throne. So, he married his brother's former fiancée and the couple stayed together for 42 years, until George's death in 1936.

3. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of Denmark – 47 years

The son of Queen Victoria, Edward took over some of his mother's duties following the death of his father, Prince Albert, in 1861 and the queen's subsequent retreat from public life.

His 1862 marriage to Queen Alexandra of Denmark was not popular with all Europe's royals. Victoria was from a predominantly German family and, at the time, the Germans and Danes were not getting on.

Still, the marriage lasted for 47 years, until Edward died in 1910. But it wasn't a particularly strong union. Edward was something of a playboy and had several mistresses throughout his marriage, including Lillie Langtrey and Lady Randolph Churchill (mother of future Prime Minister Winston Churchill).

2. King George III and Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – 57 years

This was an arranged marriage (in 1761) but the couple were said to be very much in love.

Now colloquially referred to as Mad King George, the monarch began suffering mental health issues in 1788. Modern historians have suggested the king may have had bipolar. The king's health eventually deteriorated to such a degree that he had to be isolated. Charlotte took his illness badly but remained faithful to her husband until her death in 1818. George III died 2 years later.

1. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip – 74 years

The couple wed in 1947 when then-Princess Elizabeth was 21 and Philip Mountbatten 5 years her senior. In 2017, they became the first ever royal couple to celebrate 70 years of marriage.