by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
The Duke of Kent at the National Service Of Remembrance in 2020
Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent
Prince Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick of Kent was born on October 9, 1935, at No. 3 Belgrave Square, his parents’ London residence. He is the eldest child of Prince George, Duke of Kent (a son of King George V, and younger brother of Kings Edward VIII and George VI), and Princess Marina of Greece. Through his father, he is a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and through his mother, he is a first cousin once removed of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Edward was christened in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, England on November 20, 1935. His godparents were:
- King George V (his paternal grandfather)
- Queen Mary (his paternal grandmother)
- Prince Nicholas of Greece (his maternal grandfather)
- The Prince of Wales (his paternal uncle, later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor)
- Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (his paternal aunt)
- Prince Arthur, The Duke of Connaught (Queen Victoria’s son, his paternal great-great-uncle)
- Princess Louise, The Duchess of Argyll (Queen Victoria’s daughter, his paternal great-great-aunt)
Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Coppins, in Buckinghamshire, England which his father inherited from Princess Victoria of Wales, a daughter of King Edward VII. Edward has two younger siblings:
- Princess Alexandra of Kent (born 1936), married The Honorable Angus Ogilvy, had one son and one daughter
- Prince Michael of Kent (born 1942), married Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, had one son and one daughter
Prince George, Duke of Kent, was killed in a plane crash on August 25, 1942. At just six years old, Prince Edward succeeded his father as Duke of Kent, Earl of St. Andrews, and Baron Downpatrick.
Edward attended Ludgrove School and Eton College in England, and Le Rosey in Switzerland. He then entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduating in July 1955, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys. He went on to serve in the British Army for 21 years. In 1976, the Duke retired from active service, having reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was later made Honorary Major General in 1983, and Honorary Air Marshal in 1993.
In 1956, while stationed at Catterick Garrison, near Richmond, England, Edward met his future wife, Katharine Worsley, the daughter of Sir William Arthington Worsley, 4th Baronet, and Joyce Morgan Brunner. The couple was married on June 8, 1961, at York Minster in York, England.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent had three children:
- George Philip Nicholas Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (1962) – married Sylvana Tomaselli in 1988, had three children
- Lady Helen Marina Lucy Taylor (1964) – married Timothy Taylor in 1992, had four children
- Columbus George Donald Taylor (born 1994)
- Cassius Edward Taylor (born 1996)
- Eloise Olivia Katherine Taylor (born 2003)
- Estella Olga Elizabeth Taylor (born 2004)
- Lord Nicholas Charles Edward Jonathan Windsor (1970) – married Paola de Frankopan in 2006, had three children
- Albert Louis Philip Edward Windsor (born 2007)
- Leopold Ernest Augustus Guelph Windsor (born 2009)
- Louis Arthur Nicholas Felix Windsor (born 2014)
The Duke and Duchess of Kent in 2013; Credit – Wikipedia
The family lived at Coppins until 1972, when they moved to York House at St James’ Palace in London, England. They remained at York House until 1996, taking up residence at Wren House, on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, England. They also own a country home, The Old Forge, in Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire, England which they purchased in 2002. Prior to that, they leased Anmer Hall (now the country home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) on the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk England from 1972-1990, and from 1989-1996 owned Crocker End House in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, England.
After retiring from the Army, the Duke of Kent served as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, promoting Britain and British businesses both within the UK and abroad. He stepped down In 2001, after 25 years.
The Duke of Kent has been an active member of the Royal Family and represented his first cousin Queen Elizabeth II at events in the United Kingdom around the world. As he aged, his engagements became more limited.
The Duke of Kent holds several royal appointments:
- Colonel of the Scots Guards
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
- Royal Colonel, 1st Battalion, The Rifles
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Lorne Scots Regiment in Canada
- Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
- Honorary Air Chief Marshall (RAF)
- Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Leuchars
In addition, he is the patron of numerous organizations. He is probably most recognized for his role as President of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, serving from 1969 – 2021, a position to which he succeeded upon his mother’s death in 1968. In this role, he presented the champion’s trophies at Wimbledon each year.
Some of The Duke of Kent’s other organizations and patronages:
- President, The Scout Association (since 1975)
- President, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- RAF Benevolent Fund
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution
- The Stroke Association
- The Royal Institution
- Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI)
Along with being a Royal Knight of the Order of the Garter, and Personal Aide-de-Camp to The Queen, The Duke is Grand Master of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, a position he has held since 1967. He has been a Freemason since 1963, and since 1967 has served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, the governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales. He also serves as Chancellor of the University of Surrey.
Despite a minor stroke in March 2013, the Duke made a very quick recovery and returned to his official duties just a few weeks later.
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