Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (born Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick on 9 October 1935) is an important 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 means he is 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.

Prince Edward has been the Duke of Kent for over 82 years, making him the longest-serving duke in British history. He became Duke at age six in 1942 after his father 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 used to be the president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where he presented trophies at Wimbledon. He also worked as the UK's special representative for trade, helping Britain do business with other countries.

Early Life and School Days
Military Career
Marriage and Family Life
Royal Duties and Activities
Freemasonry Involvement
Titles, Ranks, and Awards
Issue
See also

Early Life and School Days

Prince Edward was born on 9 October 1935, in London. His parents were Prince George and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. 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 in November 1935.

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 being good at foreign languages. Edward speaks French very well because his mother and aunts often spoke French at home.

On 25 August 1942, when Prince Edward was just six years old, his father, the Duke of Kent, died in a plane crash. Edward then became the new Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews, and Baron Downpatrick. As a royal family member, he started doing public duties at a young age. In 1952, at 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 one of the first to show his respect to the new Queen.

Military Career

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 in 1961.

From 1962 to 1963, the Duke served in Hong Kong. He was promoted to major in 1967. In 1970, he led a group of soldiers in Cyprus as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. He also served for a short time in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s. The Duke retired from the army on 15 April 1976. Later, he was given the honorary rank of major-general in 1983 and field marshal in 1993.

Marriage and Family Life

The Duke and Duchess of Kent, 2013

The Duke of Kent married Katharine Worsley on 8 June 1961, 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 to the throne.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent have three children:

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

They also had a son, Patrick, who passed away in 1977.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent live at Wren House, which is part of Kensington Palace in London. In 2013, the Duke had a mild stroke. In 2015, he had a hip injury and needed treatment in the hospital.

Royal Duties and Activities

The Duke of Kent by Allan Warren, 1989

The Duke of Kent has carried out many duties for his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II, for over 50 years. He represented the Queen at independence celebrations in several Commonwealth countries. He also acted as a Counsellor of State when the Queen was away from the UK.

For many years, the Duke was a vice-chairman of British Trade International. This role meant he traveled to other countries to help Britain build trade relationships. He was the first member of the royal family to visit China in 1979, focusing on British energy.

From 1971 to 2000, the Duke of Kent was the president of The Football Association, which runs football in England. He has been the president of The Scout Association since 1975. He visited the Centenary 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. His mother, Princess Marina, held this position before him.

The Duke is also involved with many other organizations. These include the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the RAF Benevolent Fund, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. He is also a patron of the American Air Museum in Britain and Opera North. In 2015, he received the Dresden Peace Prize for helping to improve relations between Britain and Germany.

On 2 June 2022, the Duke appeared with the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. This was during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the Queen's 70 years on the throne. 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 King George V's lifetime.

The Duke was the colonel of the Scots Guards for 50 years, from 1974 to 2024. He was the longest-serving colonel of that regiment.

Freemasonry Involvement

The Duke of Kent became a Freemason in 1963. He was elected as the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1967. This is the main group for Freemasonry in England and Wales. He is the 10th and longest-serving Grand Master. In 2013, the Duke celebrated 50 years as a Freemason. In 2017, he led the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the original Grand Lodge.

Titles, Ranks, and Awards

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 (honorary)
11 June 1993: Field Marshal (honorary)

Honours and Medals

The Duke of Kent has received many awards and medals throughout his life. These include:

1937: King George VI Coronation Medal
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
1967: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG)
1977: Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
1985: Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG)
2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with 3 Bars
Canadian Forces' Decoration with 3 Clasps (CD)
2022: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
2023: King Charles III Coronation Medal

Awards from Other Countries

1970: United Nations Medal for the UNFICYP mission
1992: Golden Pheasant Award from the Scout Association of Japan
2000: Knight of the Order of Charles XIII (Sweden)
: Order of Saints George and Constantine First class (Greece)
: Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (Jordan)
: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan (Jordan)
: Knight Grand Band of the Order of the Star of Africa (Liberia)
: Order of the Three Divine Powers First Class (Nepal)
1988: Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav (Norway)
: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Saxony 2015: Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony (Germany)

Civilian Roles

1966: Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Sovereign
1976: Chancellor of the University of Surrey
1990: Royal Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)

Military Appointments

Canada

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

United Kingdom

1974 – 2024: Colonel, of the Scots Guards
Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
Royal Colonel, 1st Battalion, of The Rifles
1994: Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
1993 – 2015: Honorary Air Commodore, of RAF Leuchars
1985 – 1996: Honorary Air Vice Marshal RAF
1996: Honorary Air Chief Marshal RAF

Coat of 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. 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

Name	Birth	Marriage		Children
George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews	26 June 1962	9 January 1988	Sylvana Tomaselli	Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick Lady Marina Windsor Lady Amelia Windsor
Lady Helen Taylor	28 April 1964	18 July 1992	Timothy Taylor	Columbus Taylor Cassius Taylor Eloise Taylor Estella Taylor
Lord Nicholas Windsor	25 July 1970	4 November 2006	Paola Doimi de Lupis de Frankopan	Albert Windsor Leopold Windsor Louis Windsor
Lord Patrick Windsor	5 October 1977

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent facts for kids

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