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Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard Alexander Walter George Windsor; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of George V. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. The Duke is currently 18th in the line of succession. The Duke of Gloucester carries out royal engagements on behalf of his cousin, Elizabeth II.
Early life
He was baptised in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle on 20 October 1944 by Lord Lang of Lambeth and his godparents were: Queen Elizabeth, 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). 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. CareerEducation
ArchitectureAfter university, Prince Richard joined the (then) Offices Development Group of the Ministry of Public Building and Works for a year of practical work, returning to Cambridge in 1967. In June 1969, he passed both parts of his Diploma in Architecture at the university. After completing his training, he went into practice as a partner in a firm of London architects. Although he planned 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 increasing Royal duties. He therefore resigned his partnership, and began to represent his cousin, The Queen, on Royal occasions. MarriageOn 8 June 1972, Prince Richard of Gloucester married Birgitte van Deurs, a Danish subject, the daughter of Asger Henriksen and Vivian van Deurs, at St Andrew's Church in Barnwell in Northamptonshire. The event was relatively low key compared to the large royal weddings of his cousins Princess Margaret and the Duke of Kent. Together the couple have three children:
None of the children carries out royal duties, and they have no royal titles. As great-grandchildren of George V in the male line, they are styled as the children of a Duke. Duke of GloucesterOn 10 June 1974, Prince Richard's father died and he 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[1]. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester's official residence is at Kensington Palace in London. They have leased 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 ever. Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles
HonoursBritish Honours
Foreign Honours
Honorary military appointmentsBritish
Commonwealth
ArmsImage:Duke of Gloucester Standard.JPG Standard of the Duke of Gloucester As a descendant of Queen Victoria, 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.
See also
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