ENDURING UNIONS royal marriages that just kept going, & going, & going�?/FONT>   Elizabeth II & Prince Philip (1947-present), 61 years & counting The current royals celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on November 20, 1997 & just won’t die.   George III of England & Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz (1761-1818), 57 years, 2 months, 10 days The “Mad King�?who lost the American colonies did not know who his wife was from time to time, & gradually he was put away at Windsor Castle, where he survived her by about 14 months.   Edward VII & Alexandra of Denmark (1863-1910), 47 years, 1 month, 27 days Playboy Eddy, whom some like as the prime Ripper suspect, was ordered by his queen mum, Victoria, to settle down, so he married this Danish princess who appeared remarkably tolerant of his continued philandering. She had her revenge, however, when she outlived him by 15 years.   George V & Mary of Teck (1893-1936), 42 years, 6 months, 15 days I’ll say this for the Hanoverian line; they got a great infusion of DNA from somewhere. Mary even outlived George by 17 years.   Gruffyd ap Cynan of Merionydd & West Gwynedd & Angharad (1095-1137), 42 years Angharad, being about 25 years younger than Gruffyd, survived him by an additional 25 years. In days where the average life expectancy was about the duration of their marriage, kudos to the Welsh!   Edward III of England & Philippa of Hainault (1328-69), 41 years, 6 months, 23 days Marrying in one’s teens certainly contributes to marital longevity. Edward supposedly was quite distraught when Philippa died. Though Alys Perrers probably didn’t let the grass grow under her feet in consoling him for the remaining 7 years of his life.   Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine (1152-1189), 39 years, 1 month, 19 days This squabbling couple were wed for nearly 40 years before Henry’s death at Chinon in July 1189. Those long, enforced separations really help keep a marriage together, don’t they?