His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent has retired as Colonel of the Scots Guards - after a tenure of almost 50 years. He was the regiment's longest serving colonel from 9 September, 1974 to 14 April, 2024.
Field Marshal His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADC, the 2nd Duke, was born at 3, Belgrave Sq, W1, 9 October, 1935, the eldest child of HRH The Prince George Edward Alexander Edmund, 1st Duke of Kent, KG, KT, GCMG, GCVO, PC (1902-1942), and his wife HRH Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, CI, GCVO, GBE (1906-1968). The Home Secretary, Sir John Simon, was present to verify his birth.
He is a grandson of HM King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953), a nephew of King Edward VIII (1894-1972), and of King George VI (1895-1952), & a first cousin of HM Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). The Duke of Kent's mother, Princess Marina, was a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021), thus making him a second cousin and at the same time a first cousin once removed of King Charles III.
He was baptized Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Gordon Lang, in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace, 20 November, 1935. His godparents were his grandparents King George V and Queen Mary and Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, and the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), and Princess Mary the Princess Royal Countess of Harewood, his great-great uncle the Duke of Connaught & Strathearn (whose son stood proxy), and Princess Lousie, Duchess of Argyll.
He was styled HRH Prince Edward of Kent from his birth until 1942. His father was killed in a flying accident on active service in Caithness, 25 August, 1942, and Prince Edward succeeded as 2nd Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews and Baron Downpatrick, all in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (the peerages were created 12 Oct, 1934). As of August 2024 he has been a duke for 82 years, a record in the annals of the peerage.
The Duke of Kent was educated at Ludgrove, then Eton, then at Le Rosey, Switzerland and at the RMA Sandhurst.
In 1952 he walked in the procession as a 16 year-old at the funeral of his uncle King George VI, and in 1953 he attended the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and knelt in homage to his cousin following the Dukes of Edinburgh and Gloucester. The Duke has acted as a Counsellor of State during periods of the late Queen's absence abroad.
He received a Hon DCL from Durham University in 1961. He has been involved in over 140 charitable organisations.
Career: Major-General (retired) Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys), Deputy Colonel in Chief (1993); Colonel-in-Chief , the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, and Lorne Scots Regiment (Canada); Colonel of the Scots Guards for 50 years 1974-2024; acted as special representaive of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the independence celebrations in Sierra Leone 1961, in Uganda 1962, The Gambia 1965, and Guyana and Barbados 1966, and at the Coronation of the King of Tonga in 1967; Personal ADC to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1966-2022; GSO II Eastern Command 1966-68; an instructor at the RMA Sandhurst 1968-70; and in command of the C Squadron Royal Scots Greys 1970-71; retired as Lieutenant-Colonel 1976; promoted to Major-General in June 1983, and Field Marshal in June 1993; Hon Air Cdre to the RAF Leuchars 1993; Grand Master United Grand Lodge of Freemasons of England from 1967; Grand Master of the Order of St Michael & St George 1967- ;President of Wellington College (1969); President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from 1970 to 2023. President of the Scouts Association (1975); Vice-Chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board (1976); Chairman, Duke of Edinburgh's Commonwealth Study Conference (UK Fund); President Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute, Royal Choral Society, Pres Imperial War Museum, Pres the Chest, Heart and Stroke Association, Pres the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Wimbledon from 1969 to 2021; Royal Patron of the Anglo-German Association (1994); from 1971 to 2000 he was President of the Football Association; Patron The Help Poland Fund from 1977; Chancellor of the University of Surrey since 1976; Hon Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society 1993; Hon Freeman of the Clothworkers' Co, Freeman of the Mercers' Company, Hon Liveryman of the Salters' Company, and of the Engineers' Co.
He received the Hon Freedom of the City of Georgetown, Guyana (1966); has the Order of St George and St Constantine of Greece (1st Class); the Order of the Tri Shakti Patta of Nepal (1st Class); Grand Band of the Order of the Star of Africa of Liberia; and the Grand Cross of the Order of Al-Nahda of Jordon. HRH has three Coronation Medals - those of George VI (1937), Queen Elizabeth II (1953), and King Charles III (2023), and Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee Medal (1977), Gold Jubilee Medal (2002), Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), and Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022).
His Royal Highness was appointed GCVO in 1960; GCMG in 1967; and a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in 1985.
The Duke of Kent married at York Minster, 8 June, 1961, Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, GCVO (born 22 February, 1933), the only daughter of Colonel Sir William Arthington Worsley, 4th Baronet (1890-1973), of Hovingham Hall, near York, by his wife the former Joyce Morgan Brunner (1895-1979), scion of the Brunner baronets.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent have three children, and one son deceased:-
(1) George Philip Nicholas Windsor, styled Earl of St Andrews from birth (born 26 June, 1962)
(2) Lady Helen Marina Lucy Windsor (born 28 April, 1964)
(3) Lord Nicholas Charles Edward Jonathan Windsor (born 25 July, 1970).
(4) Lord Patrick Windsor (Stillborn 5 Oct, 1977)
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