Are more people learning the secret to turning 100?

"We are pleased to know you are celebrating your 100th birthday," says Marie Stothard.

She is reading a message from King Charles III and Queen Camilla in a card which she holds in her delicate hands.

A smiling photograph of the King and Queen is displayed on the front.

Marie is surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in a function room on the top floor of the care home where she lives in Hull.

Photographs and mementoes from the last century are scattered around the room.

"I never thought I'd live to be 100," she says with a chuckle.

However, living to 100 appears to be becoming increasingly common in the UK.

Figures from Buckingham Palace show the number of congratulatory cards sent to centenarians has almost doubled over the past 20 years.

In 2005, 4,623 cards were sent to people celebrating their 100th birthday, the Palace said. By 2025, that figure had risen to 8,394.

When asked about the secret to a long life, Marie grins and looks around the room before giving a simple answer: "Family."

She adds: "They've made me happy. They're wonderful. Nothing is too much trouble and I'm very lucky."

Also at the party is Marie's son, Peter Stothard, 69. Pointing towards his mother, he says: "My mum's an amazing woman."

Peter says he believes the secret to a long life is having "a strong work ethic and resilience".

"My mum worked every day. She's still as sharp as a razor," he says.

"When you've worked all your life, like my mum has, it keeps you going. It keeps you motivated.

"I always knew she'd make it to 100."

Having grown up during World War Two, Marie became a familiar face to pub-goers across Hull, pulling pints and managing several alehouses with her late husband.

Another guest at the party is Maria Anson, the manager of Wilton Lodge care home in Hull.

"Marie is not actually our oldest resident," she says with a smile.

"Our oldest resident is 102 and we've got quite a few residents in their late 90s heading towards 100. It's amazing."

Despite being surrounded by several people who have reached the milestone birthday, Maria admits she does not know the secret to a long life.

"I do think it's got something to do with wellness and keeping active, not just physically but mentally as well," she says.

Peter Byers, from Pocklington, East Yorkshire, who celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year, said the secret to a long and active life was to "keep happy, keep walking and keep breathing".

In August, Peter said he still walked a mile every day because it helped him "escape the four walls".

More people than ever are reaching their 100th birthday in the UK.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 16,600 centenarians in the UK in 2024. This had doubled from 8,300 in 2004.

Kerry Gadsdon, a spokesperson for the ONS, said: "Since 2024, the number of 105-year-olds in the UK has increased by nearly a third, meaning there are now more semi-super centenarians than ever before.

"This is the result of the large generation born after the First World War beginning to reach this age."

Mike Padgham, whose own mother recently celebrated her 100th birthday, chairs the Independent Care Group, which supports care providers across Yorkshire.

He said longer life spans should be celebrated, but warned further support would be needed for the social care sector to cope with growing numbers.

"We've got to recruit more people into social care. By 2040, we will need nearly half a million more workers, and currently we're around 100,000 short," he said.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged a major reform of social care in England to create "a system that works on NHS principles" and where "everyone contributes, and everyone is covered".

Anja Hazebroek, executive director of Insight and Commissioning Strategy at the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) said an ageing population would "undoubtedly change demand for health and care".

"The challenge is making sure more of those extra years are lived in good health and with independence," she said.

"Our response needs to be proactive and preventative, helping people stay well and independent for longer, while ensuring hospital and specialist care is available when it is needed."

For Marie, though, the secret to a long life is much simpler.

Looking around a room filled with four generations of her family as she celebrates her 100th birthday, her answer remains unchanged:

"Family."

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