Prince Philip was 99 — just two months shy of 100 — when he died. Queen Elizabeth II is currently 96. Her mum made it to 101. Meanwhile, in 2019, the World Health Organization found the average life expectancy to be 73.4. So, what gives?
While the above-average life expectancy of the British monarchy could, of course, be a fluke, one professor — professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at University of Illinois at Chicago, S. Jay Olshansky — attributes it to privilege over poverty.
In a piece Olshansky wrote on the topic for The Conversation, he cited a study carried out in Manchester, England in 2017 that showed the vast differences in life expectancy, depending on the conditions of where people lived.
“Access to higher education and economic status was directly correlated with longer life, while lower education, income and poverty were linked to shorter lives,” Olshansky wrote.
“In fact, there are multiple instances of dramatic differences in longevity among people living as close as across the street from each other — caused by differences in poverty and privilege.”
Olshansky explained that life expectancy is first based on genetics, but then is impacted by education, income, health care, clean water, food, indoor living and working environments, as well as the overall effects of high or low socioeconomic status.
So, poverty over privilege aside, what are some specific factors that might’ve influenced Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s life span?
For starters, not smoking might’ve had an impact. Elizabeth II lost her sister, dad, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather to smoking-related illnesses, so it’s not surprising she’s reportedly never smoked a cigarette – ever. Apparently, she also forced Prince Philip to stop smoking after they were married.
It’s also worth looking at the habits of the Royals and comparing them to those who live in the ‘blue zones’, regions of the world home to a disproportionate number of centenarians (people who live to 100 and over). Blue zones include Italy’s Sardinia, the Greek island of Ikaria and the Japanese island of Okinawa.
Two key things people in blue zones do that likely have a big impact on age are daily physical activity and a diet of fresh, nutritious food — mostly consisting of plant-based and whole grains and generally steering clear of processed food.
It’s reported Queen Elizabeth II likes fish for breakfast, avoids starchy foods like pasta and potatoes when eating alone, and for dinner, likes a combination of meat or fish and veggies.
“We used a repertoire of dishes, mainly British and French food,” her former royal chef Darren McGrady told Hello!. “We cooked a lot of traditional French food like halibut on a bed of spinach with a Mornay sauce.”
Another reason? The Royals not only have access to the best health care in the world, but their medical care is also constant. Any health problems they encounter are caught early, and they can afford to be overcautious with their health.
Finally, one of the many reasons for their longer-than-the-rest-of-us lifespan, is that they have a reason to live. Research has found that the people more prepared to endure the uncomfortableness of old age are those who have strong ‘life purpose’.
“People who volunteer may live longer than those who don’t, as long as their reasons for volunteering are to help others rather than themselves,” suggests new research published online in the APA journal Health Psychology.
Research out of Ohio State University learnt those with strong religious convictions do, too. “Religious affiliation had nearly as strong an effect on longevity as gender does, which is a matter of years of life,” said Laura Wallace, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in psychology at the university.
You don’t need to be a pro at drawing lines to connect the dots between life purpose being a proven life expectancy booster and why Queen Elizabeth II has lived for so long.
