The Conversation: Why British royals tend to outlive their subjects by 30 years 14 Apr, 2021 12:53 AM 5 minutes to read What's the secret to Prince Philip's longevity? Photo / Getty Images Other In the UK it is customary to receive a personalised message from the queen on your 100th birthday – such is the relative rarity of reaching the milestone. Reaching such a ripe old age isn't uncommon among the British ruling family – in fact, my analysis shows that on average they live an additional 30 years compared with their subjects. I looked at the duration of life of the last six British monarchs, along with the longevity of their spouses and children – in total 27 royals. What it reveals is a fascinating and familiar story for those of us who study ageing and longevity for a living. As a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, I had previously observed the exact same phenomenon among US presidents – they also tend to live decades longer than the general population they serve.