Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

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This article is about the current Duke. For the King previously known as Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, see Richard III of England.
Prince Richard
Duke of Gloucester (more)
The Duke of Gloucester in 2008 cropped2.jpg
The Duke of Gloucester in 2008
Born (1944-08-26) 26 August 1944 (age 71)
Hadley Common, Hertfordshire
Spouse Birgitte van Deurs (m. 1972)
Issue
Full name
Richard Alexander Walter George[1]
House Windsor
Father Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
Mother Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Religion Church of England

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He succeeded to the dukedom of Gloucester, as the second Duke, upon his father's death in 1974 and is currently 24th in line to the British throne, and the first not descended from King George VI. He is also the senior male line descendant of Queen Victoria.[2]

The Duke of Gloucester carries out royal engagements on behalf of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II.

Early life[edit]

Prince Richard was born on 26 August 1944 at Hadley Common[3] in Hertfordshire. His father was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. His mother was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (née Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott), a daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch.

He was baptised at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park on 20 October 1944 by Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Lang. His godparents were his paternal aunt, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Marie Louise (his cousin), the Countess of Athlone (his cousin, for whom her daughter, Lady May Abel Smith stood proxy), the Duke of Buccleuch (his maternal uncle), the Marquess of Cambridge (his cousin), Lady Sybil Phipps (his maternal aunt), and General the Earl Alexander of Tunis (for whom his wife, then Lady Margaret Alexander, stood proxy). Because of the War, newspapers did not identify the precise location of the christening, saying only that it took place at "a private chapel in the country".[4][4][5]

As a patrilineal grandson of the British monarch, he was styled His Royal Highness Prince Richard of Gloucester from birth. At the time of his birth he was fifth in the line of succession to the throne but second in line to his father's dukedom, behind his brother, Prince William of Gloucester, who died in 1972 when the plane he was piloting crashed at Halfpenny Green, near Wolverhampton. When Prince Richard was four months old, he accompanied his parents to Australia, where his father served as Governor-General from 1945 to 1947. The family returned to Barnwell Manor in 1947.

Education and career[edit]

The Duke in 1989, by Allan Warren

Prince Richard's early education took place at home; later, he attended Wellesley House School at Broadstairs and Eton College. In 1963, he matriculated at Magdalene College, Cambridge where he read Architecture, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in June 1966; he proceeded as MA (Cantab) in 1971.

Later in 1966, straight after university, Prince Richard joined the Offices Development Group in the Ministry of Public Building and Works for a year of practical work. He returned to Cambridge in 1967, completing both parts of the Diploma in Architecture degree in June 1969, and upon passing his exams, he became a practising partner in a London architects firm.

Although intending to practise full-time as an architect, the death of his elder brother Prince William in 1972, when he crashed his plane in a flying competition, left Richard first in line to his father's dukedom and increased his family obligations and royal duties. He therefore resigned his partnership and began representing his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II on royal duties. On 10 June 1974, Prince Richard succeeded to his father's titles as Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster, and Baron Culloden. The Duke remains particularly interested in architecture and conservation; he became a corporate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (and FRIBA) in 1972 and serves as a Commissioner of the Historic Building and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage). He is Royal Patron of the UK branch of the charity Habitat for Humanity,[6] Royal Patron of the St. George's Society of New York,[7] and President of The London Society.

He has published three books of photographs under the name Richard Gloucester: On Public View: a Selection of London's Open-air Sculpture, with Paul William White (London, Hutchinson, 1971); The Face of London (London, Phaidon Press, 1973); and Oxford and Cambridge, with Hermione Hobhouse (London : Macdonald General Books, 1980). A keen motorist, Prince Richard was President of the Institute of Advanced Motorists for more than 32 years; he passed the Institute's Advanced Driving Test in 1965. On his appointment in 1971, it was recorded that the Institute's new President was "currently [driving] an Austin 1300";[8] he stood down as President in January 2005.[9]

Royal duties[edit]

The Duke of Gloucester at Christ Church Cathedral in 2006, robed as Grand Prior of the Order of Saint John.

On 10 April 2008, HRH The Duke of Gloucester was officially installed as inaugural Chancellor of the University of Worcester at a ceremony in Worcester Cathedral. In this role, the Prince officiates at degree ceremonies and major events, as well as promoting the University overseas. The Duke carried out the first of these duties on 5 and 6 November 2008 at the Graduation Award Ceremonies.

Prince Richard is also Patron of the Severn Valley Railway and the Pestalozzi International Village Trust. He shares a name with another duke of Gloucester, King Richard III, and is the Patron of the Richard III Society.[10] On 22 March 2015, he attended ceremonies for the reinterment of Richard III in Leicester.

During 2009, the Duke became Patron of the De Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre[11] in support of its bid to raise funds through private means and through a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding to help develop this learning experience, protect the priceless exhibits and improve visitor access to the oldest aviation heritage centre in Britain. It celebrated its 50th anniversary on 15 May 2009.

On 8 November 2011 he opened the new Law School Building at the University of Hertfordshire on the de Havilland campus site of the former de Havilland Aircraft factory.[12]

Among his duties as the Chancellor of the University of Worcester, the Duke of Gloucester was present at the opening of the new University library: The Hive—Europe's first joint public and university library—which was officially opened by his cousin, The Queen, on 11 July 2012.

On 19 March 2013, the Duke represented Queen Elizabeth II at The Vatican for the inauguration of Pope Francis.

He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the Royal United Services Institute.

On 11 March 2015, the Duke visited the Royal School Dungannon in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland to celebrate their 400th anniversary since King James I opened the school; presenting a commemorative plaque and raising an anniversary flag on the grounds.

On 22 March and 26 March 2015, the Duke represented Queen Elizabeth II at the ceremonies marking the reburial and commemorations of King Richard III in Leicester Cathedral. The king had held the title Duke of Gloucester himself before his ascension to the English throne.

Marriage and family[edit]

On 8 July 1972, Prince Richard married the Danish-born Birgitte van Deurs in St Andrew's Church at Barnwell, Northamptonshire; they have three children:

  • Earl of Ulster (Alexander Patrick Gregers Richard Windsor), born 24 October 1974. He married Dr Claire Booth on 22 June 2002. Lord and Lady Ulster have two children:
    • Lord Culloden (Xan Richard Anders Windsor), born 12 March 2007
    • Lady Cosima Rose Alexandra Windsor, born 20 May 2010
  • The Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Lewis, born 19 November 1977. She married Gary Lewis on 31 July 2004, and has two children:
    • Senna Kowhai Lewis, born 22 June 2010
    • Tāne Mahuta Lewis, born 25 May 2012
  • The Lady Rose Victoria Birgitte Louise Gilman, born 1 March 1980. She married George Gilman on 19 July 2008, and has two children:
    • Lyla Beatrix Christabel Gilman, born 30 May 2010
    • Rufus Gilman, born November 2012

Their children are not expected to carry out Royal Duties. As with most great-grandchildren of a British Sovereign, they do not hold royal rank but are entitled to be formally styled as children of a Duke.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester's official residence is at Kensington Palace in London.[13] They have leased their private home, Barnwell Manor, since 1994.

Titles, styles, honours and Arms[edit]

Titles[edit]

  • 26 August 1944 – 10 June 1974: His Royal Highness Prince Richard of Gloucester
  • 10 June 1974 – present: His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester

Formal style[edit]

  • His Royal Highness Prince Richard Alexander Walter George, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Grand Prior of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.

Honours[edit]

See also: List of honours of the British Royal Family by country

British honours[edit]

Commonwealth honours[edit]

Foreign honours[edit]

Honorary military appointments[edit]

Australia Australia
New Zealand New Zealand
United Kingdom United Kingdom

Arms[edit]

Arms of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Coat of Arms of Richard, Duke of Gloucester.svg
Notes
HRH The Duke of Gloucester's armorial bearings are based on the Royal Arms as set down for descendants of George V. The following explains how his Arms are different from those of The Queen and other members of The Royal Family.
Adopted
1962
Coronet
Coronet of a Grandchild of The Sovereign
Crest
On a Coronet of children of other sons of the Sovereign, composed of four Crosses-pattées 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 a Coronet as in the Crest and Label as in the Arms.[15]
Orders
The shield is surrounded by the Garter circlet, whose motto states:
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
(Shame be to him who thinks evil of it)
Other elements
Differences from the Royal Arms are a Label of five Points Argent, the centre and two outer Points charged with a Cross Gules, and the inner Points with a Lion passant guardant also Gules.

VOSJ Grand Priory Coat of Arms.JPG As Grand Prior, like other Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem, HRH is entitled to augment the Arms of the Order in chief.

Banner
Royal Standard of the Richard, Duke of Gloucester.png HRH The Duke of Gloucester's Standard (or Banner) displays his personal Arms, granted in 1962.[18]
Symbolism
As in the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, the first and fourth quarters represent England, the second Scotland and the third Ireland.

Issue[edit]

Name Birth Marriage Issue
Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster 24 October 1974 22 June 2002 Claire Booth Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden
Lady Cosima Windsor
Lady Davina Lewis 19 November 1977 31 July 2004 Gary Lewis Senna Lewis
Tāne Lewis
Lady Rose Gilman 1 March 1980 19 July 2008 George Gilman Lyla Gilman
Rufus Gilman

Ancestry[edit]

Patrilineal descent[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ As a titled royal, Richard needs no surname, but, when one is used, it is Windsor.
  2. ^ "Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester – Royal Family History". Royal Family History. Retrieved 15 April 2015. 
  3. ^ Royal Children by Charles Kidd & Patrick Montague-Smith
  4. ^ a b The Times, 21 October 1944 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "times" defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Yvonne's Royalty Home Page – Royal Christenings". Users.uniserve.com. Retrieved 30 April 2011. 
  6. ^ http://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/page.aspx?pid=312
  7. ^ http://www.stgeorgessociety.org/board.html
  8. ^ "Appointments Register". Motor: page 57. 9 October 1971. 
  9. ^ Resignation Press Release Archived 17 May 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "The Richard III Society". Richardiii.net. Retrieved 30 April 2011. 
  11. ^ "Mosquito Aircraft Museum – de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre". Dehavillandmuseum.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2011. 
  12. ^ Lennon, Chris (9 November 2011). "Royal opening of University of Hertfordshire law court". Welwyn Hatfield Times (WGC). 
  13. ^ "Royal residences: Kensington Palace". 
  14. ^ Mackay, James, Editor; Mussell, John W.; Editorial Team of Medal News (2004). The Medal Yearbook 2004. Devon, UK: Token Publishing Ltd. p. 236. ISBN 9781870192620. 
  15. ^ a b "Burke's Peerage – The Royal Family – HRH The Duke of Gloucester". Burke's Peerage & Gentry and The Origins Network. Retrieved 7 June 2011. 
  16. ^ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 56269. p. 8120. 10 July 2001. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  17. ^ The London Gazette: no. 54519. p. 12011. 9 September 1996. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  18. ^ "Duke of Gloucester". britishflags.net. 

External links[edit]

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Born: 26 August 1944
Lines of succession
Preceded by
Arthur Chatto		 Line of succession to the British throne
son of Henry, son of George V		 Succeeded by
Earl of Ulster
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
HRH Prince Henry		 Duke of Gloucester
5th creation, 2nd Duke
10 June 1974 – present		 Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Earl of Ulster
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Viscount Linley		 Gentlemen
HRH The Duke of Gloucester		 Succeeded by
HRH The Duke of Kent
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1 Not a British prince by birth, but created Prince Consort. 2 Not a British prince by birth, but created a Prince of the United Kingdom. 3 Status debatable; see his article.
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