Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

Infobox British Royalty|royal
name =Prince Richard
title =Duke of Gloucester


imgw =230
succession = Duke of Gloucester
predecessor =Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
successor =Alexander, Earl of Ulster
suc-type =Heir-Apparent
spouse =Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
issue =Alexander, Earl of Ulster
Lady Davina Lewis
Lady Rose Gilman
full name =Richard Alexander Walter GeorgeAs a titled royal, Richard holds no surname, but, when one "is" used, it is Windsor]
titles ="HRH" The Duke of Gloucester
"HRH" Prince Richard of Gloucester
royal house =House of Windsor
father =Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
mother =Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
date of birth =Birth date and age|1944|8|26|df=yes
place of birth =Barnwell Manor, Northamptonshire
date of christening =20 October 1944
place of christening =St. George's Chapel, Windsor
occupation =prev. Architecture|

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. The Duke is currently 19th in the line of succession. The Duke of Gloucester carries out royal engagements on behalf of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II.

Early life

Prince Richard was born on 26 August 1944 at Hadley Common [Royal Children by Charles Kidd & Patrick Montague-Smith] in Hertfordshire. His father was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third-eldest son of 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.

Richard was baptised in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle on 20 October 1944 by Lord Lang of Lambeth and his godparents were: Queen Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother), Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (for whom her daughter, Lady May Abel Smith stood proxy), The Duke of Buccleuch, The Marquess of Cambridge, Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, Lady Sybil Phipps and Sir Harold Alexander (for whom his wife, Lady Alexander stood proxy). Because of the war, newspapers did not identify the actual location of the christening, and said instead that it took place at "a private chapel in the country".The Times, 21 October 1944]

As a grandson of the British monarch in the male line, he was styled "His Royal Highness" Prince Richard of Gloucester at birth. At the time of his birth he was fifth in the line of succession to the throne, and second in line to his father's Dukedom, behind his brother, Prince William of Gloucester.

When he was four months old, Prince Richard accompanied his parents to Australia, where his father was Governor-General from 1945 to 1947. The family returned to Barnwell Manor in 1947.

Career

Education

Prince Richard's early education took place at home; later, he attended school at Wellesley House in Broadstairs and Eton College. In 1963, he matriculated at Magdalene College, Cambridge to read architecture and received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in June 1966. Subsequently, he was awarded the MA (Cantab.) degree in 1971.

Architecture

After earning his B.A. in 1966, Prince Richard joined the (then) Offices Development Group of the Ministry of Public Building and Works for a year of practical work. He returned to Cambridge in 1967, and in June of 1969, he passed both parts of the exam for his Diploma in Architecture. Upon completion of his training, he went into practice as a partner in a London architectural firm.

Although he had intended to practice full time as an architect, the death of his brother, Prince William of Gloucester, 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 to represent his cousin The Queen at royal engagements.

Other Work

On Thursday, 10 April 2008, Prince Richard was officially installed as the Founding Chancellor of the University of Worcester, in a ceremony at Worcester Cathedral. In this role, the Prince will officiate at degree ceremonies and major events, as well as promote the University overseas.

Marriage

On 8 July 1972, Prince Richard married the Danish Birgitte van Deurs, daughter of Asger Henriksen and Vivian van Deurs, at St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, in Northamptonshire. Together the couple have three children:
*Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (born 24 October 1974, married Claire Booth)
*The Lady Davina Lewis (born 19 November 1977, married Gary Lewis)
*The Lady Rose Gilman (born 1 March 1980, married George Gilman)

The three Gloucester children do not carry out royal duties. As great-grandchildren of a British Sovereign, they do not possess royal titles and are styled as the children of a non-royal Duke.

Duke of Gloucester

Upon the death of Prince Richard's father on 10 June 1974, the Prince succeeded to the titles Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden.

Both the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester make many public appearances and are popular members of the Royal Family. The Duke is particularly interested in architecture and conservation; he became a corporate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1972, and serves as a commissioner of the Historic Building and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage).

A keen motorist, Prince Richard was president of the Institute of Advanced Motorists for 32 years. This post became a matter of review when, on 23 December 2004, he was banned from driving for six months and fined for speeding, it being his fourth similar offence in three years. He resigned in January 2005 [http://www.iam.org.uk/Pressroom/News_Releases/2005/nr0501.pdf Resignation Press Release] ] .

The Duke became the founding Chancellor of the University of Worcester in October 2007

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester's official residence is at Kensington Palace in London. They have leased their private home, Barnwell Manor, since 1994. On 29 October 2004, the Duke's mother, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, died at the age of 102, the longest-living member of the British Royal Family in history.

Prince Richard shares a name with another Duke of Gloucester, King Richard III of England, and is the Patron of the Richard III Society [http://www.richardiii.net/] .

Since the death of his father, Prince Richard has been the most senior agnatic descendant of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, making him the most senior exclusively-male-line male in the House of Windsor.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Infobox Royal Styles


royal name=HRH The Duke of Gloucester
dipstyle=His Royal Highness
offstyle=Your Royal Highness
altstyle=Sir|

Titles and styles

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

Honours

British Honours
*KG: Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, "1997"
*GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, "1974"
*Grand Prior of the Order of St. John, "1975"
*Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Medal, "1953"
*Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee Medal, "1977"
*Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Medal, "2002"

Foreign Honours
*flagicon|Norway Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav, "1973"
*flagicon|Sweden The Royal Order of the Northern Star, "1975"
*flagicon|Solomon Islands The Star of Solomon, "2008"

Honorary military appointments

British
*Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Anglian Regiment
*Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Army Medical Corps
*Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Logistic Corps
*Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment
*Royal Colonel, of the 6th (V) Battalion, The Rifles
*The Royal Honorary Colonel, of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia)
*Honorary Air Commodore, of RAF Odiham
*Honorary Air Commodore, of 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force
*Honorary Air Marshal, Royal Air Force

Commonwealth
*Colonel-in-Chief, of flagicon|AUS the Royal Australian Army Education Corps [http://www.burkes-peerage.net/Sites/Peerage/SitePages/page62-6h.asp Burke's Peerage] ]

Arms

As a descendant of George V, the Duke of Gloucester's arms are based on the Royal Arms. The following explains the way in which his arms are differenced from those of the Queen.

* Arms: Is that of the Royal Arms, differenced by a label of five points argent (white), the centre and two outer points charged with a cross gules (red), and the inner points with a lion passant guardant also of gules (red).

* Crest: On a coronet composed of four crosses-patées alternated with four strawberry leaves, a lion statant guardant or (gold), crowned with the like coronet, and differenced with the label as in the Arms.

* Supporters: Are those of the Royal Supporters, differenced with a coronet as in the crest, and label as in the Arms. [http://www.burkes-peerage.net/Sites/Peerage/SitePages/page62-6h.asp]

A banner of the coat of arm's is used as the Duke's personal standard, which along with his coat of arms was granted in 1962. [ [http://www.britishflags.net/dukeofgloucester.html britishflags.net- Duke of Gloucester] ]

Ancestry

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boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
1= 1. Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
2= 2. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
3= 3. Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott
4= 4. George V of the United Kingdom
5= 5. Princess Mary of Teck
6= 6. John Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch
7= 7. Margaret Bridgeman
8= 8. Edward VII of the United Kingdom
9= 9. Princess Alexandra of Denmark
10= 10. Francis, Duke of Teck
11= 11. Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
12= 12. William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch
13= 13. Louisa Jane Hamilton
14= 14. George Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford
15= 15. Ida Frances Annabella Lumley
16= 16. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
17= 17. Victoria of the United Kingdom
18= 18. Christian IX of Denmark
19= 19. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)
20= 20. Duke Alexander of Württemberg
21= 21. Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
22= 22. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
23= 23. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)
24= 24. Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch
25= 25. Charlotte Anne Thynne
26= 26. James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn
27= 27. Louisa Jane Russell
28= 28. Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford
29= 29. Selina Louisa Forester
30= 30. Richard Lumley, 9th Earl of Scarbrough
31= 31. Frederica Mary Adeliza Drummond

Patrilineal descent

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son.

His patrilineal descent (the principle behind membership in Germanic royal houses) can be traced back through the generations -- which means that if The Duke of Gloucester were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Wettin, as all his male-line ancestors have been members.

The line diverges from the British royal line at Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, and from then on follows his paternal ancestors.

Descent before Conrad the Great is taken from [http://fabpedigree.com/s056/f354285.htm fabpedigree.com] and may be inaccurate.

House of Wettin
#Burkhard I, Duke of Thuringia, d. 870
#Burchard, Duke of Thuringia, 836 - 908
#(possibly) Burkhard III of Grabfeldgau, 866 - 913
#Dedi I, Count in the Hessegau, 896 - 957
#(probably) Dietrich I, Count of Wettin, d. 976
#(possibly) Dedi II, Count in the Hessegau, 946 - 1009
#Dietrich II of Wettin, 991 - 1034
#Thimo I, Count of Wettin, d. 1099
#Thimo II the Brave, Count of Wettin, d. 1118
#Conrad, Margrave of Meissen, 1098 - 1157
#Otto II, Margrave of Meissen, 1125 - 1190
#Dietrich I, Margrave of Meissen, 1162 - 1221
#Henry III, Margrave of Meissen, c. 1215 - 1288
#Albert II, Margrave of Meissen, 1240 - 1314
#Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen, 1257 - 1323
#Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen, 1310 - 1349
#Frederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia, 1332 - 1381
#Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1370 - 1428
#Frederick II, Elector of Saxony, 1412 - 1464
#Ernest, Elector of Saxony, 1441 - 1486
#John, Elector of Saxony, 1468 - 1532
#John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1503 - 1554
#Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1530 - 1573
#John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1570 - 1605
#Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, 1601 - 1675
#John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1658 - 1729
#Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1697 - 1764
#Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1724 - 1800
#Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1750 - 1806
#Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1784 - 1844
#Albert, Prince Consort, 1819 - 1861
#Edward VII of the United Kingdom, 1841 - 1910
#George V of the United Kingdom, 1865 - 1936
#The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, 1900-1974
#Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, 1944-

ee also

* List of British princes

External links

* [http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5563.asp Official biography]

References

Persondata
NAME=Gloucester, Richard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Windsor, Richard Alexander Walter George
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Grandson of George V
DATE OF BIRTH=26 August 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH=Barnwell Manor, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=