The couple became the “oldest” married couple in their country. So much so, that for their 80th anniversary they were greeted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth via letter.
A wedding day can be a dream moment for millions of couples around the world, since it’s the formalization of a loving relationship that they hope will last a lifetime. However, this is not always the case, and on many occasions, couples get divorced.
That’s why it’s exciting to hear stories of couples who have lasted a lifetime, like a fairy tale of love.
However, there are some that cross the barrier of years to set real records. One such marriage is that of Ron and Joyce Bond, aged 102 and 100 respectively, the so-called longest married couple in their country.
According to information from Metro UK, the British couple have just celebrated 81 years of marriage. In that time, they have not only witnessed their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren grow up, but also the passing of 15 Prime Ministers since they married in 1941.
“We never expected to reach 81 years of marriage, we know we are very fortunate to have achieved this amazing goal,” explained Joyce, who also revealed that the relationship began after a “love at first sight”.
As they have been married for so many years, they have had some sweet and some not so sweet times together. Ron served in World War II and then went to work in a garage in his hometown, so they’ve had their share of hardships
“Sometimes life is hard, but we work through it together. We look after each other, too. It feels excellent. There is no boss in our relationship, we both give and take,” the older man explained.
And like any love story that has protagonists and heroes, it also has villains. As the couple’s daughter, named Eileen, explained, there was a time when their close friends were opposed to their relationship and didn’t expect it to last long.
“It was said that at the time of their wedding it would not last long. How wrong did folks get that? You only have to spend time with them to know that they love and care for each other, even after 81 years of being married,” the woman explained.
For her, her parents are “a truly inspirational couple“, not only for her, but also for generations to come.
