The Duke of Edinburgh Oldest Royal to Travel to Canada

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh as Colonel-in-Chief of the
Royal Canadian Regiment. The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, stands immediately behind.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh will make a private working visit to Canada in April in order to present a new Regimental Colour to the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment. The presentation will take place in Toronto on 27th April and will also afford HRH an opportunity to meet with officers and non-commissioned members of the 3rd Battalion.

The Duke of Edinburgh has been Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment since 1953 (not to be confused with the Royal Regiment of Canada, of which HRH The Prince of Wales is Colonel-in-Chief). HRH has travelled to Canada more than any other member of the Royal Family -- HRH's first trip was in 1951 and his most recent was in 2010.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 91, is the oldest royal in history to have travelled to Canada. The previous record holder was HLM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, whose final trip to Canada was in 1989 at the age of 88 (one month shy of her 89th birthday). The Duke of Edinburgh broke this record in 2010, having celebrated his 89th birthday a few days before travelling to Canada with HM The Queen to participate in the 1 July celebrations on Ottawa's Parliament Hill. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother remains the oldest royal to have left the shores of the United Kingdom. Her final overseas trip was to the European continent in 1992 at the age of 92.

The announcement of the Duke of Edinburgh's April trip to Canada was made during the week in which he became the longest-lived male member of the royal family in history. The Duke is already our longest-serving royal royal consort.