Oldest first-time grandfather calls relationship with baby granddaughter "absolute magic"
Beaming as he holds his baby granddaughter in his arms, Charles Smith knows their relationship isn’t just a special one – it’s record-breaking.
When Ashley and Hanna welcomed their first child, a beautiful baby girl named Isla on 29 August 2025, Ashley’s dad Charles (Australia) became the world’s oldest first-time grandfather at the age of 91 years 209 days.
Charles and Isla
“Absolute magic,” Charles described the moment as. “Isla, Hanna, and Ashley — that’s all I want in my life.”
Charles had no idea his granddaughter had made him a record breaker until Ashley and Hanna surprised him with his certificate after secretly applying on his behalf.
Charles, Isla and Ashley
The superlative senior, who worked promoting motor sports, including the Grand Prix, following his national service, became a dad to Ashley at the age of 55.
Now that he’s a grandfather, he’s proud to go by "Poppy".
Hanna and Isla
“There are lots of grandpas and grandads around,” he said. “I feel Poppy suits me.”
And when we asked him to describe what it was like when he met little Isla for the first time ever, he said: “All I can say is I picked her up and didn’t want to give her back. Except for the nappy changes.”
Read more stories about the world’s oldest people breaking records in our Human Body section.
Charles believes he and Isla got off to a very good start, and that their bond is already a strong one.
He told us: “Well, I love her and she looks at me with my Poppy hat on and laughs. I look at my son Ashley, my daughter-in-law Hanna, and my granddaughter Isla and know this is it — family.”
Charles remains humble about his record-breaking status though.
He said of it: “She’s my granddaughter. Record-breaking or not, she’s my family.”
Proud son Asley said: "The most impressive thing about my dad is his independence. He lives a great retirement, travelling around Australia in his camper van and heading out on the boat around Moreton Bay. Age hasn’t slowed him down at all, I think he’s more active than ever. He has a positive attitude and a strong circle of friends, which says so much about him. And knowing him, the amount of tea he drinks probably has something to do with it."
Hanna added: "I remember just before I met Charles, Ash mentioned his dad was a little older, but I didn’t notice it at all. He still has a real spring in his step.
"I feel incredibly lucky to have him as my father-in-law, and it brings me so much joy that we could make him a grandfather, and a world record holder. It’s something we laugh about now; if Isla had come along any earlier, he might not have qualified."
The record for oldest first-time grandmother was set in 2008 by Marianne Wallenberg (b. Germany but based in USA), who was 95 years 82 days old when she welcomed grandson, Joshua Fritz Wallenberg (Canada).