Prince Edward, Duke of Kent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prince Edward
Duke of Kent (more)
Edward in 2014
Born	Prince Edward of Kent (1935-10-09) 9 October 1935 (age 89) 3 Belgrave Square, London, England
Spouse	Katharine Worsley ​ (m. 1961)​
Issue more...	George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews Lady Helen Taylor Lord Nicholas Windsor
Full name Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick
House	Windsor
Father	Prince George, Duke of Kent
Mother	Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
Education	Eton College Le Rosey Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Military career
Service/branch	British Army
Years of active service	1955–1976
Rank	Field Marshal
Service number	443787
Unit	Royal Scots Greys (until 1971) Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (born Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick on 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. He is the older son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. This makes him a grandson of George V and a first cousin of Elizabeth II. He is also a second cousin and first cousin once removed to Charles III. Today, he is 41st in the line of succession to the British throne.

Prince Edward has been the Duke of Kent for over 82 years. This makes him the longest-serving duke in British history. He became Duke when he was only six years old in 1942. This happened after his father sadly died in a plane crash. The Duke of Kent has carried out many duties for Queen Elizabeth II. He is also involved with more than 140 charities. He was president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club for many years. He used to present the trophies at the Wimbledon tennis championships. He also worked as the UK's special representative for international trade until 2001. He is a joint president of The Scout Association. He is also president of the Royal United Services Institute and the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Since 1967, he has been the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. He has been the Chancellor of the University of Surrey since 1976. Much of his charity work focuses on remembering wars, supporting technology, and helping British industry grow.

Early Life and Education

Prince Edward was born on 9 October 1935, in London. His parents were Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina. His father was the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary. His mother was the daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark. Edward was christened at Buckingham Palace on 20 November 1935.

Prince Edward started his schooling at Ludgrove School, a special school in Berkshire. Later, he went to Eton College and then to Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. After school, he joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. There, he won an award for foreign languages. Edward speaks French very well. His younger brother, Prince Michael of Kent, said their mother and aunts preferred to speak French at home.

On 25 August 1942, Prince Edward's father, the Duke of Kent, died in a plane crash. Prince Edward was only six years old. He then became the new Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews, and Baron Downpatrick. As a member of the royal family, Prince Edward started doing royal duties at a young age. In 1952, when he was 16, he walked behind the coffin of his uncle, George VI, at his funeral. In 1953, he attended the coronation of his cousin, Elizabeth II. He was the third person to show respect to the Queen at her throne.

Military Service

On 29 July 1955, the Duke of Kent finished his training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He became a second lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys. This was the start of his military career, which lasted over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961.

From 1962 to 1963, the Duke of Kent served in Hong Kong. He later worked on the staff in Eastern Command. He was promoted to major on 31 December 1967. In 1970, the Duke led a group from his regiment in Cyprus. They were part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. In the early 1970s, the Duke also served briefly in Northern Ireland with his regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 30 June 1973.

The Duke left the army on 15 April 1976. He was later given the honorary rank of major-general in 1983. In 1993, he received the highest honorary rank of field marshal.

Marriage and Family

The Duke and Duchess of Kent, 2013

The Duke of Kent married Katharine Worsley on 8 June 1961. The wedding took place at York Minster. Katharine is the only daughter of Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet. She became a Catholic in 1994. This did not affect the Duke's place in the line of succession. This is because she converted after their marriage. Also, a law change in 2013 removed the rule about marrying a Catholic.

The couple has three children:

• George, Earl of St Andrews, born 26 June 1962. He married Sylvana Tomaselli.
• Lady Helen Taylor, born 28 April 1964. She married Timothy Taylor.
• Lord Nicholas Windsor, born 25 July 1970. He married Paola Doimi de Lupis de Frankopan in 2006.

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

In March 2013, the Duke had a mild stroke. In April 2015, he hurt his hip and was treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Royal Duties and Charity Work

The Duke of Kent by Allan Warren, 1989

The Duke of Kent has carried out duties for his cousin, the Queen, for over 50 years. He represented the Queen during independence celebrations in several Commonwealth countries. These included Sierra Leone, Uganda, Guyana, Gambia, and Ghana. He also acted as a Counsellor of State when the Queen was abroad.

For many years, one of the Duke's main public roles was as vice-chairman of British Trade International. This role meant the Duke traveled abroad. He represented the British government to help build trade relationships with other countries. In 1979, he became the first member of the royal family to visit China. His visit focused on a British Energy Exhibition in Beijing.

From 1971 to 2000, the Duke of Kent was president of The Football Association, which is England's football governing body. Since 1975, the Duke has been the president of The Scout Association. He visited the 21st World Scout Jamboree in 2007 with Prince William of Wales. He was also president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club from 1969 to 2021. He took over this role from his mother, Princess Marina. He was also president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from 1970 until 2023.

His other roles include being president of the RAF Benevolent Fund, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and the Stroke Association. He is also a patron of the American Air Museum in Britain. The Duke of Kent is one of the Royal Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

For almost 29 years, the Duke has been the patron of Endeavour, a national youth organization. He has also been the Royal Patron of The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn since 2001. This role was previously held by his father. In 2015, the Duke received the Dresden Peace Prize. This award was for his efforts in helping Britain and Germany become friends again.

On 2 June 2022, the Duke appeared with the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. This was during the 2022 Trooping the Colour as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Kent became the oldest living descendant of King George V. He is also the last surviving descendant born during George V's lifetime.

The Duke was the colonel of the Scots Guards for fifty years. He held this role from 1974 until 2024. He was the regiment's longest-serving colonel.

Freemasonry

The Duke of Kent became a Freemason on 16 December 1963. He was elected as the Grand Master in 1967. He was officially installed on 14 June 1967. This happened during the United Grand Lodge of England's 250th anniversary celebrations. He is the 10th and longest-serving Grand Master of UGLE. UGLE is the main organization for Freemasonry in England and Wales.

In December 2013, the Duke celebrated 50 years as a Freemason. In October 2017, he led the celebrations for UGLE's 300th anniversary. This marked 300 years since the first Grand Lodge was founded.

Titles, Styles, Honours and Arms

Titles and Styles

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

Military Ranks

• 29 July 1955: Second lieutenant, Royal Scots Greys
• 29 July 1957: Lieutenant, Royal Scots Greys
• 29 July 1961: Captain, Royal Scots Greys
• 31 December 1967: Major, Royal Scots Greys
• 30 June 1973: Lieutenant-colonel, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. He retired on 15 April 1976.
• 11 June 1983: Major general
• 11 June 1993: Field marshal

Honours

• 12 May 1937: King George VI Coronation Medal
• 2 June 1953: Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
• 1960: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)
• 1961: Sierra Leone Independence Medal
• 1966: Guyana Independence Medal
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG)
  • 1967: Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
• 6 February 1977: Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
• 1985: Royal Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG)
• 6 February 2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
• 6 February 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
• Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with 3 Bars
• Canadian Forces' Decoration (with three clasps) (CD)
• 6 February 2022: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal

Foreign Honours

• 1970: United Nations Medal for the UNFICYP mission
• 1992: Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan
• 6 November 2000: Knight of the Order of Charles XIII
• : Order of Saints George and Constantine First class (civil division)
• : Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (special class)
• : Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan
• : Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Africa
• : Order of the Three Divine Powers First Class (Jyotirmaya-Subikhyat-Tri-Shakti-Patta)
• 1988: Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav
• : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
•  Saxony 21 May 2015: Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony

Civilian Appointments

• Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Sovereign (since 1 August 1966)
• University of Surrey, Chancellor (since June 1976)
• Royal Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) (since 1990)

Military Appointments

Canada

• 11 June 1977: Colonel-in-Chief, of The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)

United Kingdom

• Colonel, of the Scots Guards
• Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
• Royal Colonel, 1st Battalion, of The Rifles
• Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
• 1993: Honorary Air Commodore, of the RAF Leuchars
• 15 June 1985 – 30 June 1996: Honorary Air Vice Marshal RAF
• 1 July 1996: Honorary Air Chief Marshal RAF

Arms

Arms of the Duke of Kent

Notes As a descendant of George V, the Duke of Kent's arms are based on the Royal Arms. The following explains the way in which his arms are differenced from those of the Queen. Coronet Coronet of a Grandchild of the Sovereign Crest On the coronet of children of other sons of the Sovereign, composed 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. Escutcheon The Royal Arms differenced by a label of five points argent the points charged alternately with three anchors azure and two crosses gules. Supporters The Royal Supporters differenced with the like coronet and label. Orders The Order of the Garter ribbon. HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (Shame be to him who thinks evil of it) Banner The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom labelled for difference as in his arms. (in Scotland) Symbolism As with the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. The first and fourth quarters are the arms of England, the second of Scotland, the third of Ireland.

Issue

See also

In Spanish: Eduardo de Kent (1935) para niños