Eric and Nancy Kingston, a British couple, have celebrated love and longevity by marking their 80th wedding anniversary on June 1, 2020.
“We’re still holding hands and I had a kiss this morning in bed, before I had my breakfast,” 99-year-old Nancy told the BBC. “We still love one another.”
Social distancing restrictions placed limits upon the couple’s anniversary celebration as the couple was unable to welcome visitors into their home. However, the two lovebirds made the most of their oak anniversary by inviting close family and friends to a celebration held in their garden in Somerset, England.
Nancy and Eric held hands and posed for photos, even sharing a special kiss to mark the occasion. However, some family members admitted feeling dismayed that the couple’s milestone anniversary had happened during the pandemic.
“It’s a visit tinged with sadness,” said the Kingstons’ son, Dennis. “We just can’t go up to them and give them a hug.”
Visitors nonetheless brought cards, gifts, flowers, and well-wishes to the happy couple, with all being careful to respect social distancing in the process. In recognition of their eight decades of marriage, Nancy and Eric were also gifted flowers from the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, according to a video posted by BBC Breakfast.
Alluding to the special day, Nancy said according to The Metro: “It was absolutely beautiful. It was a lovely day. We met some old friends and made some new ones.”
Nancy and Eric met in 1938 under the reign of King George VI. It was 17-year-old Nancy who orchestrated their first meeting; she asked her brother to introduce her to Eric, then 18, who was working on a farm at the time.
“[My brother] went out of the farm and he told him I was waiting on [the] bridge,” Nancy told BBC. “That was it, it went from there.”
The couple tied the knot in a church wedding on June 1, 1940. “I just had enough coupons for my wedding dress and a set of underwear,” said Nancy, recalling wartime rationing to the Daily Mail. “I had a navy blue hat, my blue shoes, and a pale blue dress and pink carnations.”
Remembering the wedding reception with sandwiches and cake at Nancy’s grandmother’s house, Eric asserted, “If I could, I’d do it all again.”
Illustration - Matthew Nigel/Shutterstock
The couple made their home in the town of Blackford near Wedmore, Somerset, and share a large extended family comprising 5 children, 11 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren.
Another of Nancy and Eric’s sons, Stephen Kingston, who also happens to live with them, described his parents as being younger than their years in terms of their outlook on life. “They keep up to date with all that is going on so they don’t seem as old as they are,” he told the BBC.
“The kind of people they are has always been a big influence on me and the decisions I’ve made in life,” Stephen continued. “They have strong, traditional family values.”
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According to the Daily Mail, Nancy and Eric Kingston are widely believed to be the longest-married couple in the United Kingdom.
Nancy is due to celebrate her hundredth birthday in October 2020. Until then, the couple plans to continue exercising the “secret” to a longevous marriage. “Love a lot,” said Eric.
Nancy also echoes the same sentiment as her husband to a long-lasting marriage. “It must have been a deep love to have lasted this long. It’s been a bit of give and take,” she said, according to The Metro.
In honor of the couple being together for 80 years, Nancy and Eric’s family have bought an oak bench, as a gift, that will be placed at Blackford church. They are also going to plant an oak sapling; however, the location hasn’t yet been confirmed, according to the Somerset Lietunancy.
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Louise Chambers
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Louise Chambers is a writer, born and raised in London, England. She covers inspiring news and human interest stories.
