Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the

British royal family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

. He is the second son of

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (Henry William Frederick Albert; 31 March 1900 – 10 June 1974) was a member of the British royal family. He was the third son of King George V and Mary of Teck, Queen Mary, and was a younger brother of kings E ...

, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the youngest of the nine grandchildren of

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

, nephew of

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

and

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

, and first cousin of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. He is 32nd in the line of

succession to the British throne Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, sex, legitimacy, and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest Collateral descendant, collateral line. The Bil ...

, and the highest person on the list who is not a descendant of George VI. At the time of his birth, he was 5th in line to the throne. Richard practised as an architect until the death of his elder brother,

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

, placed him in direct line to inherit his father's

dukedom of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester ( ) is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curre ...

, to which he succeeded in 1974. He married Birgitte van Deurs Henriksen on 8 July 1972. They have three children.

Early life

Prince Richard was born on 26 August 1944 at 12:15 pm at St Matthew's Nursing Home in

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

, the second son of

, and Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. His father was the third son of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

and Queen Mary. His mother was the third daughter of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch, and Lady Margaret Bridgeman. At the time of his birth, he was second in line to his father's dukedom, behind his elder brother,

Prince William of Gloucester Prince William of Gloucester (William Henry Andrew Frederick; 18 December 1941 – 28 August 1972) was a member of the British royal family. The elder son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, he w ...

, who was accidentally killed in 1972 before inheriting the title and having any children of his own. Richard was baptised at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in

Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of to the south of the town of Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, Windsor, Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park ...

on 20 October 1944 by the retired

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

, Cosmo Gordon Lang. His godparents were his paternal aunt, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Marie Louise (his first cousin twice removed),

Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (Alice Mary Victoria Augusta Pauline; 25 February 1883 – 3 January 1981) was a member of the British royal family. She was the longest-lived Princess of the Blood Royal, and one of the longest-lived Britis ...

(his grandaunt and first cousin twice removed, for whom her daughter, Lady May Abel Smith stood proxy), the

Duke of Buccleuch Duke of Buccleuch ( ), formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created twice on 20 April 1663, first for James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, and second ''suo jure'' for his wife Anne Scott, 4th Countess of ...

(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".

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

, 21 October 1944

, 5 August 1942 When Richard was four months old, he accompanied his parents to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, where his father served as

governor-general Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

from 1945 to 1947. The family returned to Barnwell Manor in 1947, where Richard spent most of his childhood.

Education and career

Prince Richard's early education took place at home, under the instruction of Rosalind Ramirez, who had also tutored young King

Faisal II of Iraq Faisal II (; 2 May 1935 – 14 July 1958) was the last King of Iraq. He reigned from 4 April 1939 until July 1958, when he was killed during the 14 July Revolution. This regicide marked the end of the thirty-seven-year-old Hashemite monarchy in ...

; later, he attended Wellesley House School at Broadstairs and

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

. In 1963, he matriculated at

Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...

, where he studied architecture, graduating with the degree of

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in June 1966. As is customary at Cambridge, this proceeded to MA (Cantab) in 1971. In 1966, 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. Upon passing his exams, he became a practising partner with Hunt Thompson Associates, Architects, in London.

Marriage and family

On 8 July 1972, Prince Richard married Danish-born Birgitte van Deurs Henriksen at St Andrew's Church,

Barnwell, Northamptonshire Barnwell (formerly Barnwell All Saints and Barnwell St Andrew) is a village in North Northamptonshire in England, south of the town of Oundle, north of London (via the A1 road) and south-west of Peterborough. The River Nene runs north of th ...

; the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have three children: * Alexander Patrick Gregers Richard Windsor, Earl of Ulster (born 24 October 1974 at

St Mary's Hospital, London St Mary's Hospital is a teaching hospital in Paddington, in the City of Westminster, London, founded in 1845. Since the UK's first academic health science centre was created in 2008, it has been operated by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust ...

) * Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Windsor (born 19 November 1977 at St Mary's Hospital, London) * Lady Rose Victoria Birgitte Louise Gilman (born 1 March 1980 at St Mary's Hospital, London) The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester's official residence is at

Kensington Palace Kensington Palace is a royal residence situated within Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has served as a residence for the British royal family since the 17th century and is currently the ...

in London. They have leased their private home, Barnwell Manor, since 1994. In September 2022, the Duke put the manor up for sale for £4.75 million.

Activities

Prince Richard ended his architectural career in 1972, after the death of his elder brother

Prince William William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his p ...

, who crashed his plane in a flying competition. Richard became

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to his father's dukedom and had to take on additional family obligations and royal duties on behalf of the Queen. He became Duke of Gloucester on his father's death on 10 June 1974. He has been a corporate member of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

since 1972. He is president of the Society of Architect Artists, an honorary fellow of the

Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers is a British professional body for structural engineers. In 2021, it had 29,900 members operating in 112 countries. It provides professional accreditation and publishes a magazine, '' The Structural Eng ...

, and a commissioner of

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

. He has been patron of construction charity Construction Youth Trust for many years. With his background in architecture, the Duke of Gloucester takes interest in the work of the trust and visits their projects, in addition to giving his name to their long standing Duke of Gloucester Young Achiever's Scheme Awards. He is patron of the Architects Benevolent Society. The Duke is vice president of Lepra, a UK-based leprosy charity; as part of this role, he attends national and international events in support of the charity's work. He is royal patron of the

Society of Antiquaries of London The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...

(and elected FSA) since 2001, royal patron of the UK branch of the charity

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. The international ...

, royal patron of the St George's Society of New York, and president of The London Society. A keen motorist, Richard passed the

Advanced Driving Test The advanced driving test is a special exam for motorists who can drive to a skill level substantially above average, and candidates who pass are called ''advanced drivers''. It is available from several societies, including IAM RoadSmart, the ...

of the

Institute of Advanced Motorists The Institute Of Advanced Motorists Limited, trading as IAM RoadSmart, is a charity based in the United Kingdom, whose objective is to improve car driving standards, motorcycle riding standards, and enhance road safety by using the British ...

, of which he was president for more than 32 years. On his appointment in 1971, it was recorded that the new president was "currently rivingan Austin 1300", reflecting the modest image with which he has always been identified. He stood down as president in January 2005.Resignation Press Release
Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

The Duke of Gloucester, accompanied by the Duchess, represented his cousin Elizabeth II at the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

independence ceremonies on 26 June 1976 and again at the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

independence celebrations on 7 July 1978. He served as a judge in Prince Edward's charity television special '' The Grand Knockout Tournament'' on 15 June 1987. On 10 April 2008, the Duke of Gloucester was officially installed as inaugural

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

of the University of Worcester during a ceremony at

Worcester Cathedral Worcester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and Blessed Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England cathedral in Worcester, England, Worcester, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Worcester and is the Mother Church# ...

. In this role, he 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. The Duke is a patron of the

Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a standard gauge, standard-gauge heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The single-track line runs from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, calling at four intermediate stations and three request stop ...

and the Pestalozzi International Village Trust. He is patron of the

British Homeopathic Association Homeopathy UK previously the British Homeopathic Association (BHA) is a British charity founded in 1902 by John Epps to promote homeopathy and advocate for its training and research. The BHA was re-branded in 2021 to Homeopathy UK. It supports th ...

. He shares a name with an earlier Duke of Gloucester,

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

, and has been patron of the Richard III Society since 1980. He is a member of the international advisory board of the

Royal United Services Institute The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI, Rusi) is a defence and security think tank with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1831 by the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley ...

. During 2009, the Duke became patron of the

de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre The de Havilland Aircraft Museum, formerly the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre, is a volunteer-run aviation museum in London Colney, Hertfordshire, UK. The Museum's mission is to preserve and communicate the de Havilland Heritage to ens ...

in support of its bid to raise funds through private means and through a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding. Other patronages include: British Society of Soil Science, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, Action on Smoking and Health, British Association of Friends of Museums, British Mexican Society,

St Bartholomew's Hospital St Bartholomew's Hospital, commonly known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 by Rahere, and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust. History Early history Barts was founded in 1123 by ...

, as well as numerous other organisations and charities. In July 2011, the Duke visited the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

to meet with the representative of Manx National Heritage and the Council of Cancer Charities. On 8 November 2011, he opened the new Law School Building at the

University of Hertfordshire The University of Hertfordshire (UH) is a Universities in the United Kingdom, university in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The university is based largely in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Its antecedent institution, Hatfield ...

on the de Havilland campus site of the former de Havilland Aircraft factory. On 19 March 2013, the Duke represented Elizabeth II at the Vatican for the inauguration of Pope Francis. On 11 March 2015, the Duke visited the Royal School Dungannon in County Tyrone to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the school; presenting a commemorative plaque and raising an anniversary flag on the grounds. On 22 and 26 March 2015, the Duke represented the Queen at the ceremonies marking the reburial and commemorations of

King Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

in Leicester Cathedral. Richard III had held the title Duke of Gloucester before his ascension to the English throne. In March 2018, the Duke travelled to

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

to attend the Commonwealth Day celebrations, and visited projects related to health services, wildlife, and climate change. He missed the celebrations in March 2022 after testing positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. On 14 September 2022, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September, the Duke joined her children, grandsons, nephew, and son-in-law, in walking in the state

cortege Many words in the English vocabulary are of French origin, most coming from the Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became Modern Eng ...

from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, for her lying in state. In 2023 the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey, and (in common with other working members of the Royal Family) took part in the Coronation Procession following the service.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

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

Honours

Wear of orders, decorations, and medals

The ribbons worn regularly by Richard in undress uniform are as follows:

Honorary military appointments

; Australia * Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Australian Army Education Corps ; New Zealand * Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps ; United Kingdom * Colonel-in-Chief, of the Royal Anglian Regiment * Colonel-in-Chief, of the

Royal Army Medical Service The Royal Army Medical Service (RAMS) is a specialist corps in the British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigad ...

* Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of the

Royal Logistic Corps The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army. History The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: * Royal Engine ...

* Royal Colonel, of the 6th (V) Battalion,

The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions. Each Regular battalion was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the ...

* Royal Honorary Colonel, of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) * Colonel-in-Chief, of the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

(until 15 November 2024 when the corps was amalgamated) *

Honorary Air Commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British influ ...

in Chief, of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force * Honorary Air Commodore, of

RAF Odiham Royal Air Force Odiham or more simply RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station situated a little to the south of the village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift he ...

* Honorary Air Commodore, of 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 16 June 2001 * Honorary Air Marshal,

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

, 1 September 1996

Arms

Issue

Ancestry

References

External links

The Duke of Gloucester
at the Royal Family website * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gloucester, Prince Richard, Duke of 1944 births Living people 20th-century British architects 21st-century British people Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge Architects from London Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John Barons Culloden British Anglicans 21st-century British landowners British princes Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Dukes of Gloucester Earls of Ulster (1928 creation) Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

Honorary air commodores Richard, Duke of Gloucester Knights of the Garter Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Tonga Military personnel from Northampton People educated at Eton College People from Northampton Royal Air Force air marshals 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel