A MARRIED couple with connections to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh had a right royal knees-up to celebrate their recent 60th wedding anniversary.

Michael and Eileen Scanlan, from Northallerton, celebrated the milestone on Monday, with a gathering for friends and family at the Lord Nelson pub, in Appleton Wiske.

The couple, aged 91 and 85 respectively, share similar ages to the royal couple, but Mr Scanlan is a few months older than Prince Philip, who was 90 in June.

At Monday’s party, the couple and their family and friends were entertained by two of their grandsons, who played and sang a selection of popular and Irish songs.

Mr and Mrs Scanlan lived in Northallerton for more than 40 years, during which time Mr Scanlan travelled across the UK and abroad as a cvil engineer.

Mrs Scanlan, after bringing up their family, became a midwife at the Mount maternity hospital in Northallerton and was popular with both colleagues and patients.r in Sri Lanka.

On their retirement, they moved to Ireland to be near their extended family and to enjoy their free time.

As well as a full and varied social life, they had regular visits from children, grandchildren and friends.

They continued to return to Northallerton for celebrations and whenever needed by the family, eventually returning permanently, having missed the town, not to mention their North Yorkshire-based family.

Mr and Mrs Scanlan admit to having no words of wisdom on how to maintain a long and happy marriage.

They say they are shocked at how the time has flown by, but are grateful to be well enough to enjoy life and their growing family.