The Duke of Edinburgh has encountered the world’s oldest living land animal: Jonathan, the 191-year-old giant tortoise.
Prince Edward, 59, crouched down to meet Jonathan as the turtle craned its neck to get a closer look at the visiting royal on the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena yesterday.
Jonathan’s age is such that he also met the Duke’s late mother, Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, and his grandparents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, in 1947, when He was 115 years old.
In 1957, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, fed Jonathan, then aged 125, during a trip to St Helena.
The Seychelles giant tortoise has outlived seven British monarchs, having been born during the reign of William IV, with Charles III being the eighth monarch in his lifetime so far.
The Duke of Edinburgh met the world’s oldest living land animal – Jonathan, the 191-year-old giant tortoise – on St Helena.
He was brought to the island from the Seychelles in 1882, along with three other tortoises, when he was around 50 years old, and lives on the grounds of Plantation House, the governor’s residence.
Jonathan is believed to have been born in 1832 and although the exact date of his birth is unknown, his 191st birthday was officially celebrated in December.
The Duke will spend four days in the subtropical British Overseas Territory, opening its airport, meeting community leaders and learning about wildlife conservation efforts.
A public holiday was held on the island on Wednesday to celebrate the visit of Edward, who is 14th in line to the throne.
He is the first royal to visit since the Princess Royal traveled there 22 years ago, in 2002.
Governor Nigel Phillips described it as a “special occasion” as the holiday “allows the entire community to join in this opportunity to celebrate all that is good about the culture and environment of this remarkable island.”
The tortoise met Edward’s late mother, Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, and his grandparents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, in 1947.
St Helena Governor Nigel Phillips presented Prince Edward with the world’s oldest living land animal.
Prince Edward crouched down to meet Jonathan as the turtle craned its neck to get a closer look.
The Governor of St Helens, Nigel Phillips (centre), greets the Duke of Edinburgh upon his arrival in St Helens.
The overseas tour comes as the Princess of Wales remains in hospital following abdominal surgery, as the Prince of Wales temporarily steps back from royal duties to care for her and her children, and as the King prepares to be admitted for treatment for an enlarged prostate. .
The duke and his wife, the Duchess of Edinburgh, both 59, are the youngest members of Charles’s small working monarchy currently carrying out royal duties.
At just 47 square miles, St. Helens is one-third the size of the Isle of Wight and about the same size as Disney World Orlando.
Its nearest landmass is Ascension Island, which is 807 miles to the northwest.
As well as a public event at the Grand Parade in the island’s historic Georgian capital, Jamestown, later this week, the Duke will also interact with a cross-section of the St Helena community through a series of other events.