The strong ties that bind the Royal House of Windsor with freemasonry have recently been strengthened by a senior appointment in the United Grand Lodge of England, the governing body or the majority of freemasons in England, Wales, and the Commonwealth of Nations.
In a poignant ceremony in London the Duke of Kent, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, installed his elder son, the Earl of St Andrews, as Senior Grand Warden. Traditionally the holder of the office of Senior Grand Warden, when a royal, has later succeeded to the office of Grand Master. The appointment of the 62 year-old Lord St Andrews comes at a time when the failing health of the Duke of Kent has been the cause of much speculation as to who would follow as head of UGLE.
George Philip Nicholas Windsor, styled Earl of St Andrews (born 26 June, 1962), is a former diplomat and a great-grandson of King George V and Queen Mary. He was a member of the Diplomatic Service in New York and Budapest. Lord St Andrews became chancellor of the University of Bolton in 2017. He is the trustee of the Next Century and Global eHealth foundations and patron of the Welsh Sinfonia. He is the elder son of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and his wife the former Katharine Worsley and is the heir-apparent to his 88 year-old father. He is 42nd in the line of succession to the throne.
The earl will be the first non-royal Duke of Kent in centuries. Only the grandchildren in the male line of the sovereign are HRH Prince/Princess. As a great-grandson of the monarch (George V) Lord St Andrews, will be His Grace the 3rd Duke of Kent, and rank with the dukes in the peerage of the United Kingdom.
St Andrews married in January, 1988, the Canadian-born Sylvana Palma Tomaselli (born 28 May, 1957), a noted historian and lecturer at the University of Cambridge. The couple have three children, a son, Edward, Lord Downpatrick (born Dec 1988), and two daughters, Lady Marina Charlotte (born Sept 1992), and Lady Amelia (born August, 1995).
Two members of the Royal Family are currently prominent freemasons and both are cousins once removed of His Majesty King Charles III, scions of the Kent branch of the Royal House of Windsor. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (born 9 Oct, 1935), is the tenth and longest-serving Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), which serves as the governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales. The duke was initiated into the Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16 on 16 December 1963. Two years later, he was chosen to be the Lodge’s Worshipful Master for 1965 and 1966. In 1967, he became the Grand Master of the UGLE during its 250th anniversary. He has now filled the role of Grand Master for 57 years, and continues to play and active role at Grand Lodge.
Prince Michael of Kent (born 4 July, 1942), younger brother of the Duke of Kent, is also an active freemason. The prince holds two offices, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons and Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex from 1982. His Freemasonry career matches the same footsteps taken by his elder brother before. He was initiated into the fraternity in 1974 in Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16. Over the years, Prince Michael has become a member of different lodges and held numerous prestigious positions.
With the King's cousin, the Duke of Kent, now 88, as the most senior freemason in England and Wales, and with the duke's elder son now as Senior Grand Warden it is safe to say that that House of Windsor's adherence to the brotherhood will continue for many years to come.
In the past, many members of the Royal Family were members of the craft. George, Prince of Wales (1762-1830), later the Prince Regent and King George IV, was the first British Monarch to be regonised as a freemason. He was born in 1762 at St James’ Palace in London, the eldest son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, and he succeeded his father on 29th January 1820 as the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. George, as Prince of Wales served as the Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England between 1790 and 1813. George IV died in June, 1830.
In January 1813, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843), younger brother of King George IV, became Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England, and in December of that year his brother, Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767-1820) , became Grand Master of the Antient Grand Lodge of England. On 27 December 1813 the United Grand Lodge of England was constituted at Freemasons' Hall, London with the Duke of Sussex as Grand Master. In 1842, he founded the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution, and died 21 April, 1843.
King George’s IV was succeeded by his brother, William, Duke of Clarence, who reigned as King William IV between 1830 and 1837. The Duke of Clarence began his masonic career on 9 March 1786 when he was initiated into Prince George Lodge No. 86 at Plymouth. He was raised in rank to the Past Grand Master of Premier Grand Lodge in May 1787. Later, the Duke of Clarence became a permanent master of Prince of Wales’ lodge in 1827 until 1830 when he resigned after succeeding to the crown.
Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, was initiated into the brotherhood on 20 December 1868. The ceremony was conducted in the Swedish Grand Master’s Lodge at the Royal Palace in Stockholm by Charles XV, King of Sweden and Norway. Albert Edward, known as 'Bertie' later became a member of the Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16, where he served as Master of the Lodge from time to time. Afterward, he became a member of several other Lodges, including the Apollo University Lodge No. 357, which is recognized as the Lodge for Oxford University Members. His life long journey in Freemasonry was remarkable. In 1874, he was elected to be the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. After his accession to the throne as King Edward VII, in January, 1901, he was raised to the position of Protector of the craft. King Edward VII was also the First Grand Principal of the Supreme Grand Chapter in 1874-1901.
King Edward VII's younger brother, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught & Strathearn (1850-1942), succeeded his brother as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1901, and remained in the post for 38 years, until his resignation in 1939.
The Duke of Connaught was succeeded as Grand Master by his great-nephew, Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902-1942), who was killed in a flying accident on active service, in August, 1942.
Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor), was initiated into freemasonry in 1919, as a member of the Household Brigade Lodge, No. 2614. King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in December, 1936, and his younger brother and successor the Duke of York described the moment of change in his own words as, ‘On entering the room, I bowed to him as King…when he and I said goodbye we kissed, parted as Freemasons and he bowed to me as his King,’ This statement is a clear indication of how the monarchs deeply valued Freemasonry ways and rituals.
Prince Albert, Duke of York, later King George VI, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary was initiated into freemasonry on 2 December, 1919. He was initiated into Navy Lodge, No. 2612, after his service in World War I. At the time, he was a lieutenant of the Royal Navy. During the occasion, he said, ‘I have always wished to become a Freemason, but owing to the war, I have had no opportunity before of joining the Craft.’ This marked the beginning of his utmost dedication to the order.
Two years later, he was positioned as a permanent Master of Navy Lodge. He continued his mason career by joining other lodges. In 1923, he was inducted as the Senior Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England. He served as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland between 1936 until his coronation in May, 1937.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021), the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was initiated into the Navy Lodge No. 2612. However, he did not seem to have a passionate interest in involving himself with the organization. He contined to pay his annual Masonic subscription fee until his death in April, 2021, aged 99, even though he rarely associated himself with the business of the Craft.
List of Grand Masters, United Grand Lodge of England:-
(1) HRH The Duke of Sussex, KG 1813-43
(2) The 2nd Earl of Zetland, KG 1844-1870
(3) The 1st Marquess of Ripon, KG, GCSI, CIE, PC 1870-74
(4) HRH The Prince of Wales, KG 1874-1901
(5) HRH The Duke of Connaught & Stratghearn 1901-39
(6) HRH The 1st Duke of Kent KG 1939-42
(7) The 6th Earl of Harewood, KG 1942-47
(8) The 10th Duke of Devonshire, KG 1947-50
(9) The 11th Earl of Scarbrough KG 1951-67
(10) HRH The 2nd Duke of Kent, KG 1967-
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