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Since April 2019, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh has become the longest serving and oldest royal consort, through his marriage to Queen Elizabeth II for over 70 years.

Born on Corfu, on 10th June 1921, Philip was the nephew of King Constantine of Greece but was forced to flee their homeland due to political upheaval which resulted in exile with his parents aged just one.

Prince Philip joined the Royal Navy after leaving school at 18, he was a cadet in 1939 just before World War II broke out.  He saw active service over the next six years in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, and was also in Tokyo Bay in 1945 when the Japanese surrendered.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married in November 1947, when she was still a princess.  But on 2nd June 1953, the coronation of Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey, London and Princess Elizabeth II ascended to the throne at the age of just 25 following the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952.

The Duke of Edinburgh, was bestowed on Prince Philip following his marriage to the Queen.  During his time as Royal Consort he was offered an opportunity by the Gordonstoun headmaster, Kurt Hahn to extend his positive school experience with others, and consequently founded a youth awards programme. 

This was to inspire young people to challenge themselves not just physically but also mentally whilst building their confidence through non-academic activities.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award opened to boys in 1956 followed by the girls two years later. It has grown in popularity over the decades, and now expands to 140 countries, with approximately eight million people having taken part.

The Queen’s Consort has delivered nearly 5,500 speeches, undertaken over 22,000 solo engagements and partaken in 637 official visits to 143 countries and focuses on around 800 patronages.

Although Prince Philip announced his retirement from royal duties around his 96th birthday in June 2017,  he still remains the longest serving royal consort in British history along with being the oldest male member of the Royal Family.

Have you ever wondered what birthstone/gems or flowers match the month you were born in, if the answer is yes then here’s the run down.

January – the birthstone for this month is Garnet, which is usually a deep red gem. A Garnet forms part of a group of silicate minerals including almandine, pyrope, spessartine, grossular, andradite, mozambique and uvarovite. As for the flower, it is the Carnation. It’s official name is the Dianthus caryophyllus. It thought to be native to the Mediterranean region but the exact region is unknown.

February – the gem this month is Amethyst, a soft violet coloured stone. An Amethyst is a mineral gemstone deriving from quartz and it’s usually transparent. The Violet flower is February’s bloom. These are a group of Spring flowering plants from the Violaceae family. Violets usually have heart-shaped leaves with asymmetrical flowers.

March – The gorgeous turquoise gemstone of Aquamarine is this month stone. In ancient myth, Aquamarine was believed to be the treasure of mermaids. Sailors are said to use this gemstone as a talisman of good luck, fearlessness and protection. It’s also been known as the stone of eternal youth and happiness. The Daffodil is the flower of the month. It’s proper name and family are that of the Narcissus jonquilla family. This is a bright trumpet like flower.

April – The clear innocence and beauty of a diamond is the stone for this month. A Diamond is a solid form of the carbon element, its measured in diamond cubics. The flower of the month is a Sweet Pea or Daisy. The sweet pea is a flowering plant from the Lathyrus family, native to Sicily, Cyprus and the Aegean Islands. Whilst the Daisy belongs to the family Asteraceae. It is closely related to the artichoke and arnica and there are around 4000 known species of daisies that differ in size, shape, colour and type of habitat.

May – The beautiful green stone which is the Emerald is the gem for May and means happiness. It is made from a variety of the mineral beryl coloured green because of the traces of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Although they are durable stones, emeralds are susceptible to chipping. The adorable fragrant Lily of the Valley is the flower for this month. This petite flower is sweetly scented yet a highly poisonous woodland flowering plant, that will flower in cooler temperatures.

June – Synonymous with June is the opulent Pearl meaning wealth. These jewels are the only ones created by a living animal. A natural pearl is rare and is only found in about 1 in every 10,000 wild oysters. The majestic Rose is the flower for the month of June. This flower can usually be found as a prickly bush or shrub that bears red, pink, yellow, or white fragrant flowers, and belongs to the Rosaceae family.

July – The seductive red Ruby is the gemstone for the month of July, and it means freedom. A ruby is made from a variety of the mineral corundum. The word ruby originates from the Latin word Rubens, which means red. The flower for July is the Larkspur. This delphinium has about 300 species of the flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Larkspur are toxic to humans and livestock. It is thought that in England, the larkspur flowers were used to cure ailments and were part of the Summer Solstice celebrations.

August – The friendship gem of Peridot is the stone for the month of August. It has a gem like quality and is made up of an olivine and a silicate mineral. It was known as the ‘Gem of the Sun’ in Egyptians times and was worn by Queen Cleopatra. The largest known Peridot stone is a 46.16 carat stone that was extracted in Pakistan and is housed in the Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC. The flower for the month of August is the large Gladiolus and they come from the Iridaceae Family. Gladiolus is also known as the Sword Lily, due to its sword shaped leaves. The impressive flower spikes on stalk like stems in a wide array of beautiful colours.

September – The deep blue Sapphire meaning Truth is the gemstone for September. Sapphires belong to the mineral family known as corundum. They are the second strongest gemstone after the diamond. The Aster is the flower of the month. This perennial flowering plant is part of the Asteraceae family. The word “aster” originates from the Greek word and means “star”, due to the flowers shape of flower head. The Aster is also known as the “frost flowers” as they are often used during the autumn and winter.

October – Opal is the gem for this month and means hope. It is classed as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms of silica, it is because the unusual opal stone is formed from rain. It is believed that when the rain water seeps into the rock crevasses and then evaporates, the silica that is left behind dries and hardens and that is what make a precious opal. The flower for October is the Calendula, which is more commonly known as the Marigold. These flowers are also known for their culinary, medicinal, and magical herbs.

November – The stunning Topaz gem is the stone for November and means loyalty. Topaz comes in many colours but is usually a striking yellow shade. The word Topaz means “fire” in Sanskrit, which is the classical language of Indian and also the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The Chrysanthemum is the flower of November looks like a daisy with a normally yellow centre and usually has a pretty, decorative pompon as it’s petals. The chrysanthemum flower symbolises optimism and joy.

December – For the last month of the year, the aquatic looking Turquoise gem is the symbol, with many believing that this opaque, blue/green stone was thought of as a Holy stone and the bringer of success, and good fortune. Holly is the flower for December. English holly is commonly used as decorations at Christmas time. The holly bush or tree has spiky green waxy leaves which are tough and red berries. The holly tree does not lose it’s leaves in the Winter as they are very strong.

Now you know what flower, birthstone or gem is associated with each month, it might help solve getting that special gift for someone on their birthday.

As of June 2019, there are currently two men who hold the title of the British supercentenarian.

They are Mr Alfred Smith from St Madoes in Perthshire, and Mr Bob Weighton from Alton in Hampshire.

They were both born on 29 March 1908. However it is not known which one of them was born first.

They gained this title after the previous oldest living man John Mansfield passed away on 27 November 2016, he was aged 108 years and 349 days.

Mr Robert Grant Pitts “Bob” Weighton was born in Kingston-upon-Hull in Yorkshire and he was one of seven children. His father scraped together to pay an extra £3 a term to enable him to stay on at school until he was 16 years old which meant he could take up a marine engineering apprenticeship.

Once he’d qualified, Mr Weighton moved to Taiwan and took a post to teach at a missionary school, although he first spent two years in Japan learning the language.

In 1937, Bob married Agnes, who was also a teacher, they’d known each other since studying together in England. They were married in Hong Kong and afterwards they returned to Taiwan.

Their first child, David was born and soon after they decided to return to Great Britain in 1939. However, they were diverted to Toronto in Canada as the Second World War broke out. When they lived in Canada, Bob and Agnes had two more children, and named them Peter and Dorothy.

Bob Weighton moved to Connecticut in the United States and worked in a factory that made aeroplanes for Britain in their fight to win the war.

He also worked closely with the American Secret Service and later moved to Washington, before returning to England after the war was won. He then took a teaching position at City University in London.

The couple finally moved to Alton in 1973 were Agnes sadly passed away in 1995. Bob’s son, Peter, also passed away in 2014.

It is noted that in 2016, Weighton has 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren and his other son David and daughter Dorothy.

Mr Weighton is celebrating his birthday by officially launching a book of poems he’s written which will raise funds for the elderly people in Alton.

Mr Weighton said the most common question he’s asked is about the secret of his longevity. He jokingly replies simply “to avoid dying”.

The UK’s other oldest man is Mr Alfred Smith, better known as Alf, he was born in Invergowrie, in Perth and Kinross. He was the fifth of six sons born to John and Jessie Smith. He attended Invergowrie Primary School and Harris Academy and left at the age of 14 years old.

He emigrated to Canada with his eldest brother in 1927, but returned to Scotland to help run the family farm in Kinfauns after the death of his father.

Whilst he was farming he married Isobel Harper in 1937 and they went on to have two children, named Irene and Allan. Mr Smith also served with the Home Guard during the Second World War.

Allan sadly passed away in 2016 and following the death of Isobel in 2003, aged 97 years old, Smith lived alone in his St Madoes home. However, he now lives with his daughter following a fall he sustained in 2016.

He has been asked what his secret for his longevity is and his reply is “Porridge is helpful and having a job you enjoy”.

Both Mr Alf Smith and Mr Bob Weighton spent part of their lives living in Canada.

These two men have never met but recently they have started to exchange birthday cards.

Sadly since this was written, Scotland’s oldest man, Alf Smith passed away in August 2019, aged 111.

The Nachthexen or “Night Witches” was the German nickname given to the formidable female aviators from the 588th Soviet Night Bomber Regiment. The pilots saw their name as a badge of honour.

This regiment flew bombing missions for the Soviet Air Force against the German military during the Second World War. The female squadron trained as pilots, navigators and engineers.

The group consisted of 40 two person crews, flying over 30,000 missions and dropping 23,000 tons of bombs.

Each pilot flew more than 800 missions often carrying out eight every night. They were an unique unit, being the only all female combatants during World War II and were the most highly decorated female squadron in the Soviet Union Air Force.

The Night Witches flew biplanes made of wood and canvas which were originally built for crop dusting and training purposes. But this made them light which made it easier for the women to fly them. However, because of this it also made the planes slow and they could only carry six bombs at a time.

There were no parachutes on board the planes and the female pilots had no radar or technology to help guide them, only a compass and maps.

Due to the aeroplane cockpit being open, pilots would often suffer from numbness and frostbite during their flights.

The planes were very slow, with the maximum speed of the biplane being slower than the “stall” speed of German aircraft, so the Night Witches used the attack method of idling the engines and gliding before dropping a bomb.

This stealth mode left only the whooshing sound of the wind to give away their location and the Nachthexen would often return from the missions with bullets through their maps, planes and helmets.

The German fighters in their highly advanced aircraft feared the Night Witches because of their bravery and stealth.

The longest serving First Lady of the United States of America was a woman named Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and she was known as one of the most outspoken first lady’s of the White House.

Eleanor Roosevelt was born on 11th October 1884 in New York City into the Roosevelt dynasty and she had a very privileged and political upbringing.

Her uncle was Theodore Roosevelt, who was the President of the USA from 1901-1909.

When Eleanor was 10 years old she lost both her parents to diphtheria. She was sent to England to be educated and became a strong, confident and independent woman. She chose to work as a social worker which served her well in later life.

In 1905, she married Franklin Delano Roosevelt, her distant 5th cousin and they went on to have six children. Franklin was a senator and Eleanor was active in the American Red Cross during World War I.

In 1921, Franklin contracted polio, which left his legs paralysed but Eleanor persuaded Franklin to continue in politics and with her help he became the 32nd President of the United States in 1933.

Whilst Eleanor Roosevelt was the first lady, she changed the role of purely being a hostess to that of a politician.

She spoke passionately about women’s rights, human rights, racial discrimination, welfare, workers’ rights and children’s issues.

She worked with the Women’s Trade Union League to abolish child labour and set up a minimum wage.

Eleanor was also active in the civil rights movement insisting on equal rights for everyone, regardless of race, even going so far as to break tradition and invite several African-Americans into the White House for social and political causes.

As the policy of presidential terms was different back in the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, he spent four terms in office from 1933 to 1945, which spanned across the Great Depression and World War II. This is how Eleanor Roosevelt remains to be the longest serving first lady of the USA.

The policy has however now changed, so that a sitting president can only serve a maximum of two consecutive terms (8 years).

Eleanor’s husband Franklin died in 1945 and the then Vice President, Harry Truman became president.

Truman appointed Eleanor as a delegate to the United Nations, a post she held from 1945-1953.

She became the Chair of the UN’s Human Rights Commission and during her time she helped to co-write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In 1961, at the age of 77 years old, the new president John F. Kennedy appointed Eleanor to become involved in the UN again along with the National Advisory Committee of the Peace Corp and also the chair of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women.

Eleanor was known as one of the greatest humanitarians with an overwhelming sensitivity to those in need.

She sought out political and social change wanting to make the world a fairer and better place before sadly passing away on 7th November 1962.