Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

Prince Richard
The Duke in 2008
Duke of Gloucester (more)
Predecessor	Prince Henry
Heir apparent	Alexander, Earl of Ulster
Spouse	Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
Issue
Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster Lady Davina Lewis Lady Rose Gilman
Full name
Richard Alexander Walter George
House	House of Windsor
Father	Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
Mother	Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Born	(1944-08-26) 26 August 1944 Hadley Common, Hertfordshire
Religion	Church of England

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is the youngest grandchild of George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. He is currently 21st in the line of succession to the British throne. The Duke of Gloucester carries out royal engagements on behalf of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II.

Early life

Prince Richard was born on 26 August 1944 at Hadley Common in Hertfordshire. His father was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. His mother was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (née Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott), a daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch.

Richard was baptised in the private chapel of Windsor Castle on 20 October 1944 by Lord Lang of Lambeth and his godparents were the Queen (his paternal aunt and wife of George VI), Princess Marie Louise (his cousin), the Countess of Athlone (his cousin, for whom her daughter, the Lady May Abel Smith stood proxy), the Duke of Buccleuch (his maternal uncle), the Marquess of Cambridge (his cousin), the Lady Sybil Phipps (his maternal aunt), and General the Hon Sir Harold Alexander (for whom his wife, the Lady Margaret Alexander, stood proxy). Because of the war, newspapers did not identify the actual location of the christening, and said instead that it took place at "a private chapel in the country".

As a grandson of the British monarch in the male line, he was styled His Royal Highness Prince Richard of Gloucester at birth. At the time of his birth he was fifth in the line of succession to the throne, and second in line to his father's Dukedom, behind his brother, Prince William of Gloucester, who died in 1972 when the plane he was piloting crashed at Halfpenny Green, near Wolverhampton.

When Prince Richard was four months old, he accompanied his parents to Australia, where his father was Governor-General from 1945 to 1947. The family returned to Barnwell Manor in 1947.

Education and career

The Duke in 1989, by Allan Warren

Prince Richard's early education took place at home; later, he attended school at Wellesley House in Broadstairs and Eton College. In 1963, he matriculated at Magdalene College, Cambridge to read architecture and received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in June 1966. Subsequently, he incepted as MA (Cantab) in 1971.

After earning his BA in 1966, Prince Richard joined the (then) Offices Development Group of the Ministry of Public Building and Works for a year of practical work. He returned to Cambridge in 1967, and in June 1969, he passed both parts of the exam for his Diploma in Architecture. Upon completion of his training, he went into practice as a partner in a London architectural firm.

Although he had intended to practice full time as an architect, the death of his brother, Prince William, in 1972, when the plane he was piloting crashed near Wolverhampton, left Richard first in line to his father's dukedom and increased his family obligations and royal duties. He therefore resigned his partnership and began to represent his cousin, Elizabeth II, at royal engagements. On 10 June 1974, Prince Richard succeeded his father as Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden. The Duke remains particularly interested in architecture and conservation; he became a corporate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1972, and serves as a commissioner of the Historic Building and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage).

Prince Richard has published three books of photographs under the name Richard Gloucester. On Public View: a Selection of London's Open-air Sculpture, with Paul William White (London, Hutchinson, 1971); The Face of London (London, Phaidon Press, 1973); and Oxford and Cambridge, with Hermione Hobhouse (London : Macdonald General Books, 1980). A keen motorist, Prince Richard was president of the Institute of Advanced Motorists for more than 32 years. He had passed the institute's advanced test in 1965. On his appointment in 1971 it was recorded that the institute's new president was "currently [driving] an Austin 1300". He resigned as president in January 2005.

Royal duties

The Duke of Gloucester at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, wearing the robes of the Order of Saint John, on 4 November 2006.

On 10 April 2008, Prince Richard was officially installed as the Founding Chancellor of the University of Worcester in a ceremony at Worcester Cathedral. In this role, the Prince officiates at degree ceremonies and major events, as well as promoting the University overseas. The Duke carried out the first of these duties on 5 and 6 November 2008 at the Graduation Award Ceremonies.

Prince Richard is also a patron of the Severn Valley Railway and the Pestalozzi International Village Trust. He shares a name with another Duke of Gloucester, King Richard III of England, and is the Patron of the Richard III Society.

During 2009 The Duke of Gloucester became Patron of the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre in support of its bid to raise funds through private means and through a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding to help develop this learning experience, protect the priceless exhibits and improve visitor access to the oldest aviation heritage centre in Britain. It celebrated its 50th anniversary on 15 May 2009.

On 8 November 2011 he opened the new Law School Building at the University of Hertfordshire on the de Havilland campus site of the former de Havilland Aircraft factory.

As part of his role as the Chancellor of the University of Worcester, The Duke of Gloucester was present at the opening of the new University library; The Hive-Europe's first joint public and university library, which was officially opened by his cousin, The Queen on 11 July 2012.

On March 19, 2013, Prince Richard represented Queen Elizabeth at the inauguration of Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Marriage and family

On 8 July 1972, Prince Richard married the Danish Birgitte van Deurs, at St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, in Northamptonshire. Together the couple have three children:

• Alexander, Earl of Ulster (born 24 October 1974, married Claire Booth)
• The Lady Davina Lewis (born 19 November 1977, married Gary Lewis)
• The Lady Rose Gilman (born 1 March 1980, married George Gilman)

Their children do not carry out royal duties. As great-grandchildren of a British Sovereign, they do not possess royal titles and are styled as the children of a duke. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester's official residence is at Kensington Palace in London. They have leased their private home, Barnwell Manor, since 1994.

Titles, styles, honours, and arms

Royal styles of The Duke of Gloucester
Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness
Alternative style	Sir

Titles and styles

• 26 August 1944 – 10 June 1974: His Royal Highness Prince Richard of Gloucester
• 10 June 1974 – present: His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester

His title in full is: His Royal Highness Prince Richard Alexander Walter George, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Grand Prior of the Order of St. John, Service Medal of the Order of St. John.

Honours

The Royal Family of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms
HM The Queen HRH The Duke of Edinburgh HRH The Prince of Wales HRH The Duchess of Cornwall HRH The Duke of Cambridge HRH The Duchess of Cambridge HRH Prince Harry of Wales HRH The Duke of York HRH Princess Beatrice of York HRH Princess Eugenie of York HRH The Earl of Wessex HRH The Countess of Wessex Viscount Severn Lady Louise Windsor HRH The Princess Royal HRH The Duke of Gloucester HRH The Duchess of Gloucester HRH The Duke of Kent HRH The Duchess of Kent HRH Prince Michael of Kent HRH Princess Michael of Kent HRH Princess Alexandra

See also List of honours of the British Royal Family by country

Commonwealth realms honours

• KG: Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1997
• GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 1974
• Grand Prior of the Order of St. John, 1975
• Service Medal of the Order of St John with 3 Bars
• Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, 1953
• Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977
• Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, 2002
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2012
• SSI: Star of the Solomon Islands, 2008

Foreign honours

• The Order of the Aztec Eagle
• Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav, 1973
• Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star, 1975
• Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Tonga, 2008

Honorary military appointments

Australia

• Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Australian Army Education Corps

New Zealand

• Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corp

United Kingdom

• Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Anglian Regiment
• Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Army Medical Corps
• Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Logistic Corps
• Royal Colonel, of the 6th (V) Battalion, The Rifles
• The Royal Honorary Colonel, of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia)
• Honorary Air Commodore, of RAF Odiham
• Honorary Air Commodore, of 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 16 June 2001.
• Honorary Air Marshal, Royal Air Force, 1 September 1996.

Issue

Name	Birth	Marriage		Issue
Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster	24 October 1974	22 June 2002	Claire Booth	Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden Lady Cosima Windsor
Lady Davina Lewis	19 November 1977	31 July 2004	Gary Lewis	Senna Lewis Tāne Lewis
Lady Rose Gilman	1 March 1980	19 July 2008	George Gilman	Lyla Gilman Rufus Gilman

Ancestry

Patrilineal descent

Patrilineal descent

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. His patrilineal descent (the principle behind membership in Germanic royal houses) can be traced back through the generations—which means that if The Duke of Gloucester were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Wettin, as all his male-line ancestors have been members. The line diverges from the British royal line at Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, and from then on follows his paternal ancestors. Prince Richard is currently the senior agnatic descendant of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as the heir-male of King Edward VII. Descent before Conrad the Great is taken from fabpedigree.com and may be inaccurate. House of Wettin Burkhard I, Duke of Thuringia, d. 870 Burchard, Duke of Thuringia, 836–908 (possibly) Burkhard III of Grabfeldgau, 866–913 Dedi I, Count in the Hessegau, 896–957 (probably) Dietrich I, Count of Wettin, d. 976 (possibly) Dedi II, Count in the Hessegau, 946–1009 Dietrich II of Wettin, 991–1034 Thimo I, Count of Wettin, d. 1099 Thimo II the Brave, Count of Wettin, d. 1118 Conrad, Margrave of Meissen, 1098–1157 Otto II, Margrave of Meissen, 1125–1190 Dietrich I, Margrave of Meissen, 1162–1221 Henry III, Margrave of Meissen, c. 1215–1288 Albert II, Margrave of Meissen, 1240–1314 Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen, 1257–1323 Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen, 1310–1349 Frederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia, 1332–1381 Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1370–1428 Frederick II, Elector of Saxony, 1412–1464 Ernest, Elector of Saxony, 1441–1486 John, Elector of Saxony, 1468–1532 John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1503–1554 Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1530–1573 John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1570–1605 Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, 1601–1675 John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1658–1729 Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1697–1764 Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1724–1800 Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1750–1806 Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1784–1844 Albert, Prince Consort, 1819–1861 Edward VII of the United Kingdom, 1841–1910 George V of the United Kingdom, 1865–1936 The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, 1900–1974 Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, 1944 onwards

See also

• British prince

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of Gloucester
• Official biography

References

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester House of Windsor Cadet branch of the House of Wettin Born: 26 August 1944
Lines of succession
Preceded by Arthur Chatto	Line of succession to the British Throne	Succeeded by Earl of Ulster
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Prince Henry	Duke of Gloucester 5th creation, 2nd Duke 10 June 1974 – present	Incumbent Heir Apparent: Earl of Ulster
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Viscount Linley	Gentlemen HRH The Duke of Gloucester	Succeeded by The Duke of Kent