Prince Edward | |||||
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Duke of Kent (more) | |||||
Born | Prince Edward of Kent 9 October 1935 3 Belgrave Square, London, England | ||||
Spouse | |||||
Issue | |||||
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House | Windsor | ||||
Father | Prince George, Duke of Kent | ||||
Mother | Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark | ||||
Education | |||||
Military career | |||||
Service | British Army | ||||
Years of active service | 1955–1976 | ||||
Rank | Field Marshal | ||||
Service number | 443787 | ||||
Unit |
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Royal family of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms |
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Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George V, nephew of Edward VIII and George VI, and first cousin of Elizabeth II. Edward's mother was also a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Elizabeth II, making him both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to Charles III. He is 41st in the line of succession to the British throne.
Prince Edward has held the title of Duke of Kent for over 82 years, making him the longest-serving duke in British history. He inherited the title at the age of six in 1942, following his father's death in a plane crash. Edward carried out engagements on behalf of Elizabeth II and is involved with over 140 charitable organisations. He was president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, presenting the trophies to the Wimbledon champion and runner-up, and served as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, retiring in 2001. He is joint president of The Scout Association, and president of the Royal United Services Institute and the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and since 1967 Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. The Duke of Kent has been Chancellor of the University of Surrey since June 1976. Much of his charity work revolves around war remembrance, technology, and the growth of British industry.
Prince Edward was born on 9 October 1935, at No. 3 Belgrave Square, London, to Prince George and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, the Duke and Duchess of Kent. [1] Home Secretary Sir John Simon was present to verify the birth. His father was the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary. His mother was the daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. He was baptised in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace on 20 November 1935 by Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Lang. His godparents were his grandparents, King George V, Queen Mary and Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark; as well as the Prince of Wales; the Princess Royal, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (whose son, Prince Arthur of Connaught, stood proxy); and the Duchess of Argyll. [2]
Prince Edward began his education at Ludgrove, a preparatory school in Berkshire, before going on to Eton College [3] and then Le Rosey in Switzerland. [4] After school he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, [5] where he won the Sir James Moncrieff Grierson prize for foreign languages. Edward speaks fluent French, having been raised in a house where, according to the words of his younger brother, Prince Michael of Kent, his mother and aunts spoke French as a matter of preference. [6]
On 25 August 1942, Prince Edward's father, the Duke of Kent, was killed when his plane crashed in bad weather in Caithness. Prince Edward, at six years old, succeeded his father as Duke of Kent, [7] Earl of St Andrews and Baron Downpatrick. As a member of the royal family, Prince Edward began performing engagements at an early age. In 1952, at the age of 16, he walked behind the coffin of his uncle, George VI, at his state funeral. [8] In 1953, he attended the coronation of his cousin, Elizabeth II, and was the third to pay homage at her throne, following the dukes of Edinburgh and Gloucester. [9]
On 29 July 1955, the Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as a second lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, [10] the beginning of a military career which lasted over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961. [11]
From 1962 to 1963, the Duke of Kent served in Hong Kong, later serving on the staff in Eastern Command. He was promoted to major on 31 December 1967. [12] In 1970, the Duke commanded a squadron of his regiment in Cyprus as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. [13] During the early 1970s, the Duke also served briefly in Northern Ireland with his regiment. It was revealed in a 2022 book, that the Queen intervened in 1971 to prevent the kidnapping of her cousin, the Duke of Kent. The then 35-year-old Duke, an Army officer with the Royal Scots Greys, was sent to Northern Ireland with his unit but the Queen alerted Edward Heath, the prime minister, during her private audience, and he relayed a warning to his ministers. Commanding officers were told the Duke was not to be sent to Belfast without special orders. A few weeks later, he was posted back to Britain. [14] He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 30 June 1973. [15]
The Duke retired from the army on 15 April 1976. [16] He was subsequently accorded the honorary rank of major-general on 11 June 1983, [17] and of field marshal on 11 June 1993. [18]
At York Minster on 8 June 1961 the Duke of Kent married Katharine Worsley, the only daughter of Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet, by his wife Joyce Morgan Brunner. She converted to Catholicism in 1994, [19] but because the conversion occurred after their marriage, it did not cause the Duke to lose his place in the line of succession, as the Act of Settlement 1701 only applied where the spouse was a Catholic at the time of marriage. The disqualification by marrying a Catholic was removed by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013.
The couple have three living children:
Katharine had a miscarriage in 1975 owing to rubella and gave birth to a stillborn son, Patrick, in 1977. [21]
The Duke and Duchess of Kent reside at Wren House, Kensington Palace, in London. [22]
In 2011, close associates of Jonathan Rees, a private investigator connected to the News International phone hacking scandal, stated that he had penetrated Edward and Katharine's bank accounts. [23]
The Duke had a mild stroke on the morning of 18 March 2013. [19] In April 2015, he suffered from a hip injury and was hospitalised at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for further treatments. [24]
The Duke of Kent performed engagements on behalf of his cousin, the Queen, for over 50 years. The Duke represented the Queen during independence celebrations in the Commonwealth countries of Sierra Leone, [25] Uganda, [26] Guyana, [27] Gambia, [28] and Ghana, to commemorate its 50th independence anniversary celebration. [29] He also acted as Counsellor of State during periods of the Queen's absence abroad. [13]
One of the Duke's major public roles for many years was vice-chairman of British Trade International, formerly known as the British Overseas Trade Board, and later as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. This position saw the Duke travel abroad to represent the British government in fostering trade relations with foreign countries and organisations. Prince Andrew, Duke of York succeeded him in this position, which is today known as UK Trade & Investment (or UKTI), although Prince Andrew resigned from the post in 2011. [30] He was also the vice-chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board. [31] In that capacity, he became the first member of the royal family to visit China in 1979 with his focus being on the British Energy Exhibition in Beijing. [32]
From 1971 to 2000, the Duke of Kent was president of English football's governing body, The Football Association. The Duke has served as the president of The Scout Association since 1975. [33] Along with Prince William of Wales, the Duke visited the Centenary World Scout Jamboree at Hylands Park, Chelmsford in July 2007. [34] He also served as the president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club between 1969 and 2021, [35] [36] a position in which he succeeded his late mother, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. [37] He was also president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from 1970 until 2023. [38] [39] His other roles include president of the RAF Benevolent Fund, [40] [41] the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, [42] the Stroke Association, [35] [43] the Royal United Services Institute, [44] the Royal Institution, [45] the British Racing Drivers' Club, [46] and patron of the American Air Museum in Britain, [47] Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, [48] Kent County Cricket Club, [49] Opera North, [50] and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. [51] He is also on the advisory panel for the Mountbatten Medal and presents the medal once the decision has been made. The Duke of Kent is one of the Royal Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering. [52]
For almost 29 years, the Duke has been the patron of Endeavour, a national youth organisation. [53] He has also served as Royal Patron of The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn since 2001, a position previously occupied by his father. [54] In 2015, the Duke received the Dresden Peace Prize for "his contribution to British-German reconciliation." [55]
On 2 June 2022, the Duke appeared alongside the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the 2022 Trooping the Colour as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. [56]
Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Kent became the oldest living descendant of King George V, and the last surviving descendant born in George V's lifetime.
The Duke was colonel of the Scots Guards for fifty years from 9 September 1974 to 14 April 2024, being succeeded by the Duke of Edinburgh. [57] At the time of his retirement, he was the regiment's longest serving colonel. [58]
The Duke was initiated into Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16 on 16 December 1963, and was elected its Worshipful Master for 1965 and 1966. [59]
Having been appointed Senior Grand Warden in 1966, he was elected as Grand Master the following year, and was installed on 14 June 1967 during United Grand Lodge of England's 250th anniversary celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall. [60] He is the 10th, and longest-serving Grand Master of UGLE, the governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales.
In December 2013, the Duke celebrated 50 years as a freemason. [59] In October 2017 he presided over the tercentenary celebrations of UGLE, marking the 300th anniversary of the founding of the original Grand Lodge, one of two which merged to form UGLE in 1813. [61] The main ceremony was held in the Royal Albert Hall, in the year which also marked the Duke's 50th anniversary of installation as Grand Master.
The ribbons worn regularly by Edward in undress uniform are as follows:
Grand Master and First and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George | Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order | ||
United Nations Medal for the UNFICYP mission | King George VI Coronation Medal | Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal | Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal |
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal | Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal | Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal | King Charles III Coronation Medal |
Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with three bars | Canadian Forces' Decoration with three clasps | Sierra Leone Independence Medal | Guyana Independence Medal |
With medals, Edward normally wears the breast stars of the Garter, St Michael and St George, and Royal Victorian Order. When only one should be worn, he wears the Order of the Garter star. Foreign honours are worn in accordance with British customs and traditions when applicable.
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Name | Birth | Death | Marriage | Children | |
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George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews | 26 June 1962 | 9 January 1988 | Sylvana Tomaselli | Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick Lady Marina Windsor Lady Amelia Windsor | |
Lady Helen Taylor | 28 April 1964 | 18 July 1992 | Timothy Taylor | Columbus Taylor Cassius Taylor Eloise Taylor Estella Taylor | |
Lord Nicholas Windsor | 25 July 1970 | 4 November 2006 | Paola Doimi de Lupis de Frankopan | Albert Windsor Leopold Windsor Louis Windsor | |
Lord Patrick Windsor (stillborn) | 5 October 1977 |
Ancestors of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent |
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Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the youngest of the nine grandchildren of George V, nephew of Edward VIII and George VI, and first cousin of Elizabeth II. He is 31st in the line of succession to the British throne, and the highest person on the list who is not a descendant of George VI. At the time of his birth, he was 5th in line to the throne.
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was a member of the British royal family. She was the wife of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the mother of Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn was the fourth son and fifth child of King George III and Queen Charlotte. His only child, Victoria, became Queen of the United Kingdom 17 years after his death.
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was a member of the British royal family. He was the third son of King George V and Queen Mary, and was a younger brother of kings Edward VIII and George VI. He served as Governor-General of Australia from 1945 to 1947, the only Prince to hold the post.
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British royal family, the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary. He was a younger brother of kings Edward VIII and George VI. Prince George served in the Royal Navy in the 1920s and then briefly as a civil servant. He became Duke of Kent in 1934. In the late 1930s he served as an Royal Air Force officer, initially as a staff officer at RAF Training Command and then, from July 1941, as a staff officer in the Welfare Section of the RAF Inspector General's Staff. He died in the Dunbeath air crash on 25 August 1942, in which fourteen of the fifteen crew and passengers were killed.
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, is a member of the British royal family. The only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, she is a granddaughter of George V, niece of Edward VIII and George VI, and first cousin of Elizabeth II. Alexandra's mother was also a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Elizabeth II, making her both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to Charles III.
Prince Michael of Kent is a member of the British royal family who is 52nd in line to the British throne as of 2024. The younger son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George V, nephew of Edward VIII and George VI, and first cousin of Elizabeth II. Michael's mother was also a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Elizabeth II, making him both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to Charles III.
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was a Greek and Danish princess by birth and a British princess by marriage. She was a daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, and a granddaughter of King George I and Queen Olga of Greece. Princess Marina married Prince George, Duke of Kent, fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary, in 1934. They had three children: Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Michael.
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, was a member of the extended British royal family, as a great-grandson of King George III, a brother of Queen Mary, uncle to the Kings Edward VIII and George VI, and the husband of Princess Alice of Albany. He was a British Army commander, who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa and Governor General of Canada.
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Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British royal family, a grandson of King George III and cousin of Queen Victoria. The Duke was an army officer by profession and served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces from 1856 to 1895. He became Duke of Cambridge in 1850 and field marshal in 1862. Deeply devoted to the old Army, he worked with Queen Victoria to defeat or minimise every reform proposal, such as setting up a general staff. His Army's weaknesses were dramatically revealed by the poor organisation at the start of the Second Boer War.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V.
Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a royal title normally granted to sons and grandsons of reigning and past British monarchs, plus consorts of female monarchs. The title is granted by the reigning monarch, who is the fount of all honours, through the issuing of letters patent as an expression of the royal will.
The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642 in the Kingdom of Scotland, although it was only placed on the English Establishment in 1686.
Edward VIII, later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication in December of the same year.
President David Granger showing Prince Henry of Wales an image of his cousin Prince Edward, Duke of Kent who presented the instrument of Guyana's Independence to former Head of State, President Forbes Burnham.
The Duke is perhaps best known for his role as president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, presenting trophies to the winners at Wimbledon.
The Duke of Kent, Patron, Endeavour Training, this morning received Mr. Steven Turner upon assuming his appointment as Chief Executive Officer.