Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
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Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester GCVO (Birgitte Eva; formerly van Deurs; born Henriksen, 20 June 1946) is a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who is a grandchild of King George V.
Together with her husband, the Duchess of Gloucester undertakes royal duties on behalf of the Duke's cousin, Queen Elizabeth II.
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[edit] Early life
Birgitte was born Birgitte Eva Henriksen, in Odense, Denmark, the younger daughter of Asger Preben Knud Wissing Henriksen, a lawyer, and his wife, Vivian van Deurs. She took her mother's last name, van Deurs, when her parents separated.
Birgitte moved to Cambridge, England and also worked at the Danish embassy in London.
[edit] Marriage
In February 1972, Birgitte became engaged to Prince Richard of Gloucester, the second eldest son of The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. Their marriage took place on 8 July 1972 at St. Andrew's Church, Barnwell, Northamptonshire. At that time, she was styled Her Royal Highness Princess Richard of Gloucester.
Six weeks after their wedding, Prince Richard's elder brother, Prince William, was killed in a flying accident. Prince Richard unexpectedly became heir to the Dukedom and upon his father's death in 1974, the couple became TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Together the couple have three children:
- Earl of Ulster (born 24 October 1974)
- The Lady Davina Lewis (born 19 November 1977)
- The Lady Rose Gilman (born 1 March 1980)
Their children do not carry out any royal duties. After her marriage to the Duke of Gloucester, the Duchess has been forgotten in her homeland Denmark. Not too many Danes are aware of the presence of a Dane in the British Royal Family.
[edit] Official role
The Duchess of Gloucester is patron of a large number of organizations, many of which have medical, educational or welfare connections. She has also accompanied the Duke of Gloucester on his official visits overseas: her first such visit was in 1973, when The Duke and Duchess represented The Queen at the 70th birthday celebrations of King Olav V of Norway.
The Duchess is sponsor of two Royal Navy Ships: HMS Gloucester and HMS Sandown. The Duchess is the patron of Bliss, the special care baby charity. She is also patron of St Paul's Cathedral School, St John's School, Leatherhead and Bridewell Royal Hospital (King Edward's School, Witley) and regularly attends functions at all three schools.
After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales[2] she became the president of the Royal Academy of Music.[3][dead link]
[edit] Titles, styles, honours and arms
[edit] Titles and styles
- 20 June 1946 – 15 January 1966[4]: Miss Birgitte Henriksen
- 15 January 1966 – 8 June 1972: Miss Birgitte van Deurs
- 8 June 1972 – 10 June 1974: Her Royal Highness Princess Richard of Gloucester
- 10 June 1974 –: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester
The Duchess of Gloucester's style and title in full: Her Royal Highness Princess Richard Alexander Walter George, Duchess of Gloucester, Countess of Ulster and Baroness Culloden, Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.
[edit] Honours
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- GCVO: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 23 June 1989
- DStJ: Dame of the Order of St. John
- Service Medal of the Order of St John
- Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977
- Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, 2002
- Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
The Order of the Crown of Tonga, 2008
[edit] Honorary military appointments
British
- Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Irish Rangers (until 1992)
- Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Army Dental Corps
- Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of the Adjutant General's Corps
- Royal Colonel, of the 7th (V) Battalion The Rifles
- Colonel-in-Chief,
Bermuda Regiment
Commonwealth Realms
- Colonel-in-Chief,
Canadian Forces Dental Service (January 2006 – present) [1] - Colonel-in-Chief,
Royal Australian Army Educational Corps - Colonel-in-Chief,
Royal New Zealand Army Educational Corps
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ As a titled royal, Birgitte holds no surname, but, when one is used, it is Windsor
- ^ "SPECIAL REPORT: PRINCESS DIANA, 1961-1997". Time. SEPTEMBER 18, 1997. http://www.time.com/time/daily/special/diana/timeline/augsept97/18.html. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ^ "Governing Body". http://www.royalacademyofmusic.ac.uk/whoswho/Pages/Governing%20Body.aspx. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- ^ Name change is mentioned in parish register of Th. Kingo, Odense (Regional Archive, Odense)
| Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by Lady Sarah Chatto |
Ladies HRH The Duchess of Gloucester |
Succeeded by The Duchess of Kent |
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- 1946 births
- Living people
- British duchesses by marriage
- Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St John
- Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
- Danish nobility
- Danish people
- English people of Danish descent
- Danish emigrants to the United Kingdom
- British princesses by marriage
- House of Windsor
- People from Odense
- People associated with the Royal Academy of Music
