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Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by PoliceChief (talk | contribs) at 19:52, 4 July 2011 (HRH The Duke of Kent is not just an ADC to HM The Queen, he is one of the very few Personal ADCs'). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the present Duke of Kent. For Queen Victoria's father, see Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. For other Dukes, see Duke of Kent.

Prince Edward
Duke of Kent
Tenure25 August 1942 – present (81 years, 365 days)
PredecessorPrince George, Duke of Kent
Heir apparentGeorge, Earl of St Andrews
Born (1935-10-09) 9 October 1935 (age 88)
Belgrave Square, London
SpouseKatharine, Duchess of Kent
IssueGeorge Windsor, Earl of St Andrews
Lady Helen Taylor
Lord Nicholas Windsor
Names
Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick[1]
HouseHouse of Windsor
FatherPrince George, Duke of Kent
MotherPrincess Marina of Greece and Denmark

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935), is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942.

The Duke of Kent carries out royal duties on behalf of his first cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. He is perhaps best known as President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, presenting the trophies to the Wimbledon champion and runner-up. He also served as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, retiring in 2001. He is also the President of the Scout Association, the President of the Royal United Services Institute, the President of the Royal Institution of Great Britain and the Grand Master of the Freemasons in England & Wales.

At the time of his birth, Prince Edward was 7th in the line of succession to his grandfather King George V, behind his 3 uncles, his cousins Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, and his father. As of the birth of Savannah Phillips in 2010, he is in 28th position.

Early life

Prince Edward was born on 9 October 1935, at No. 3 Belgrave Square, London. His father was Prince George, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck. His mother was Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (née Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark), the daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, and Grand Duchess Helen Vladimirovna of Russia. As a grandson of a British sovereign in the male line, he was styled as a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with the prefix, His Royal Highness, styled HRH Prince Edward of Kent.

The Prince was baptised in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace on 20 November 1935 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang and his godparents were: King George V and Queen Mary (his paternal grandparents); the Prince of Wales (his paternal uncle); the Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood (his paternal aunt); the Duke of Connaught (his great-granduncle, whose son, Prince Arthur of Connaught, stood proxy); the Duchess of Argyll (his great-grandaunt); and the Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (his maternal grandfather).[2]

Education

Prince Edward began his schooling at Ludgrove, a preparatory school in Berkshire, before going on to Eton College and then Le Rosey in Switzerland. After school he entered Royal Military College Sandhurst where he won the Sir James Moncrieff Grierson prize for foreign languages.

Prince Edward can speak fluent French as well as his native English.

Duke of Kent

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, then aged 6, succeeded his father as Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews and Baron Downpatrick. He later took his seat in the House of Lords in 1959.

As a royal duke, he was destined for royal duties at an early age. At the age of 16 he walked behind the coffin of his uncle, George VI, at his state funeral in 1952. In 1953, he attended the coronation of his cousin, Elizabeth II, paying homage at her throne after her crowning (following the Dukes of Edinburgh and Gloucester).

Military service

A 1989 photograph of the Duke of Kent,
by Allan Warren
Allegiance United Kingdom
Years of service1957–1976
RankField Marshal
Service number443787
UnitRoyal Scots Greys

The Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 29 July 1955 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys,[3] the beginning of a military career that would last over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961.[4] The Duke of Kent saw service in Hong Kong from 1962–63 and later served on the staff in Eastern Command. He was promoted to Major on 31 December 1967.[5] Later in 1970, the Duke commanded a squadron of his regiment serving in the British Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus, part of the UN force enforcing peace between the Greek and Turkish halves of the island. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 30 June 1973.[6] The Duke retired from the Army on 15 April 1976.[7] He was subsequently promoted Major-General on 11 June 1983[8] and Field Marshal on 11 June 1993.[9]

Marriage

The Duke of Kent married Katharine Worsley at York Minster on 8 June 1961. Katharine is the only daughter of Sir William Arthrington Worsley, 4th Bt., and his wife, Joyce Morgan Brunner. After their marriage, she was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent, though in 2002, she abandoned the style of Royal Highness and has expressed a preference to be known as Katharine Kent, or Katharine, Duchess of Kent, the latter the typical style of a divorced or widowed peeress, which she is not.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent have three children, none of whom carries out royal duties:

The couple also had a stillborn child on 5 October 1977.

The Duchess of Kent later converted to Roman Catholicism in 1994. Despite this, the Duke of Kent did not lose his place in the line of succession due to the Act of Settlement 1701, in that The Duke married a fellow member of the Church of England in 1961, who only subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism. The couple's son Lord Nicholas also converted to Roman Catholicism, following his mother's example.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent reside at Wren House, Kensington Palace in London.

Royal duties

Royal family of
the United Kingdom and the
other Commonwealth realms
Badge of the House of Windsor

The Duke of Kent has performed royal duties on behalf of his cousin, the Queen, for over 50 years. The Duke has represented the Queen during independence celebrations in the former British colonies of Sierra Leone, Uganda, Guyana, Gambia and most recently Ghana for their (Ghana's) 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration. He has also acted as Counsellor of State during periods of the Queen's absence abroad.

One of the Duke's major public roles for many years was Vice-Chairman of British Trade International, 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.

His other interests include serving as the president of the Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a position he succeeded from his late mother, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. His other roles include President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the RAF Benevolent Fund, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Stroke Association, RUSI, and the Ri. He also makes the final decision in the award of the Mountbatten Medal.

Edward is President of the Scout Association, and, along with Prince William, visited the Centenary World Scout Jamboree at Hylands Park, Chelmsford in July 2007.

For almost 29 years Edward as been the Patron of Endeavour a national youth organisation. He has also served as Royal Bencher of The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn since 2001, a position previously occupied by his father.

Freemasonry

The Duke is the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, the governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales. Prince Edward has served in that office since 1967.

Scouting

The Duke has served as the President of The Scout Association since 1975.[10]

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

  • 9 October 1935 – 25 August 1942: His Royal Highness Prince Edward of Kent
  • 25 August 1942 – : His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent

The Duke's current full style is Field Marshal His Royal Highness Prince Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick, Duke of Kent, Earl of Saint Andrews, Baron Downpatrick, Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Personal Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty.

Honours

Styles of
The Duke of Kent
Reference styleHis Royal Highness
Spoken styleYour Royal Highness
Alternative styleSir

British Honours

Foreign Honours

Military ranks

Honorary ranks

Honorary military appointments

British

Commonwealth

Coat of Arms of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

Other appointments

Arms

The Royal Arms differenced by a label of five points argent, the first, third and fifth points charged with a blue anchor, and the second and fourth points with a red cross.

Crest: On a coronet of four crosses-patées alternated with four strawberry leaves a lion statant guardant or, crowned with the like coronet and differenced with a label as in the Arms.

Supporters: The Royal Supporters differenced with the like coronet and label.

Ancestry

Family of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
16. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
8. Edward VII of the United Kingdom
17. Victoria of the United Kingdom
4. George V of the United Kingdom
18. Christian IX of Denmark
9. Princess Alexandra of Denmark
19. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel
2. Prince George, Duke of Kent
20. Duke Alexander of Württemberg
10. Francis, Duke of Teck
21. Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
5. Princess Mary of Teck
22. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
11. Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
23. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel
1. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
24. Christian IX of Denmark (= 18)
12. George I of Greece
25. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel (= 19)
6. Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
26. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia
13. Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia
27. Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg
3. Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
28. Alexander II of Russia
14. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
29. Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine
7. Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
30. Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
15. Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
31. Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.

References

  1. ^ As a titled royal, Edward holds no surname, but, when one is used, it is Windsor
  2. ^ Yvonne's Royalty Home Page – Royal Christenings
  3. ^ "No. 41137". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 26 July 1957.
  4. ^ "No. 42422". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 25 July 1961.
  5. ^ "No. 44493". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 29 December 1967.
  6. ^ "No. 46046". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 7 August 1973.
  7. ^ "No. 46877". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 15 April 1976.
  8. ^ a b "No. 49392". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 20 June 1983.
  9. ^ a b c "No. 53342". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 14 June 1993. Cite error: The named reference "LG 14 June 1993" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Royal Support for the Scouting and Guiding Movements". Official Website of the British Monarchy. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  11. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20010625165454/www.frimurarorden.se/frimuraren/frimuraren_00-4_b_frame.htm
  12. ^ "No. 50204". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 22 July 1985.
  13. ^ "No. 54453". The London Gazette. 1 July 1996.
  14. ^ a b "No. 47234". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 10 June 1977. Cite error: The named reference "LG 10 June 1977" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  15. ^ "No. 53267". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 5 April 1993.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Cadet branch of the House of Wettin
Born: 9 October 1935
Preceded by Line of succession to the British Throne
28th position 		Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Duke of Kent
2nd creation
25 August 1942 – present 		Incumbent
Heir-apparent:
George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
HRH The Duke of Kent 		Succeeded by
Masonic offices
Preceded by Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England
1967 – present 		Incumbent
Honorary titles
Preceded by Grand Master of the Order of St Michael and St George
1967 – present 		Incumbent

Template:Persondata

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