Prince Michael of Kent

"Prince Michael" redirects here. For other people named Prince Michael, see Prince Michael (disambiguation).

Prince Michael
Prince Michael of Kent in 1990, by Allan Warren
Spouse	Princess Michael of Kent
Issue
Lord Frederick Windsor Lady Gabriella Windsor
Full name
Michael George Charles Franklin[1]
House	House of Windsor
Father	Prince George, Duke of Kent
Mother	Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
Born	4 July 1942 (1942-07-04) (age 68) Coppins, Iver, Buckinghamshire

Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO (Michael George Charles Franklin; born 4 July 1942) is a grandson of King George V and Princess Mary of Teck, making him a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Michael occasionally carries out royal duties representing the Queen at some functions in Commonwealth realms outside of the United Kingdom. Otherwise, he manages his own consultancy business and undertakes various commercial work around the world. He has also presented some television documentaries on the royal families of Europe. He is named after Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia, the younger brother of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and first cousin of three of his grandparents.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Education and military service 3 Career 3.1 Royal duties 3.2 Commercial 3.3 Masonic 4 Marriage 5 Controversy 6 Sport 7 Russia 8 Titles, styles, honours and arms 8.1 Titles and styles 8.2 Honours 8.3 Medals 8.3.1 Honorary military appointments 8.4 Fellowships 8.5 Arms 9 Ancestry 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

[edit] Early life

Prince Michael was born on 4 July 1942, at Coppins, Iver, Buckinghamshire. His father was the Duke of Kent, the fourth-eldest son of George V and Queen Mary. The Duke of Kent was killed in a plane crash near Caithness, Scotland on 25 August 1942, just six weeks after his son was born. At the time of his birth Prince Michael was seventh in the line of succession to his uncle King George VI.

His mother was the Duchess of Kent (née Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark), a daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. As a grandchild of a British sovereign in the male line, he is styled as a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with the prefix His Royal Highness.

At his christening on 4 August 1942 at the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle, his godparents were: King George VI (his paternal uncle); the Queen of the Netherlands (for whom her son-in-law Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands stood proxy); the King of Norway (his granduncle); the President of the United States of America (for whom the Duke of Kent stood proxy); the Crown Princess of Greece (who was not present); the Duke of Gloucester (his paternal uncle, who was absent); the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (his cousin); and the Lady Patricia Ramsay (his cousin). 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."^[2][3]

At the age of 5, Prince Michael was a page boy at the wedding of his cousins, the Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh.^[4]

[edit] Education and military service

Educated at Sunningdale School and Eton College, Prince Michael entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in January 1961, where he was commissioned into the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own), in 1963. He saw service in Germany, Hong Kong, and Cyprus, where his squadron formed part of the UN peacekeeping force of 1971. Subsequent tours of duty, during a military career that spanned twenty years, included a number of appointments on the Defence Intelligence Staff. He retired from the Army, with the rank of Major, in 1981.

In 1994, Prince Michael was made Honorary Commodore (now Honorary Rear Admiral) of the Royal Naval Reserve, and in 2002 he was made Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Benson. In 2009, he was appointed Honorary Regimental Colonel of the Honourable Artillery Company. He is also colonel-in-chief of the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment in Canada.

[edit] Career

The Royal Family of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms
HM The Queen HRH The Duke of Edinburgh HRH The Prince of Wales HRH The Duchess of Cornwall HRH Prince William of Wales HRH Prince Harry of Wales HRH The Duke of York HRH Princess Beatrice of York HRH Princess Eugenie of York HRH The Earl of Wessex HRH The Countess of Wessex Viscount Severn Lady Louise Windsor HRH The Princess Royal HRH The Duke of Gloucester HRH The Duchess of Gloucester HRH The Duke of Kent HRH The Duchess of Kent HRH Prince Michael of Kent HRH Princess Michael of Kent HRH Princess Alexandra
v · d · e

[edit] Royal duties

As the third child of George V's fourth son, it was not expected that Prince Michael, as the only second son in the Royal Family outside HM The Queen's direct line of descent, would undertake royal and official duties. He has performed official duties in the Commonwealth realms other than the United Kingdom and has represented the Queen abroad. He has, however, never received a parliamentary annuity or an allowance from the British Privy Purse, unlike both his elder brother, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and his sister, Princess Alexandra, who both carry out official royal duties in the United Kingdom and receive British parliamentary annuities. The Prince was given a grace and favour apartment at Kensington Palace upon his marriage in 1978.

Prince Michael has represented the Queen at state funerals in India, Cyprus and Swaziland and, with his wife, Princess Michael of Kent, represented the Queen at the independence celebrations in Belize, and at the Coronation of King Mswati III of Swaziland.

Prince Michael supports a large number of different charities and organisations.

His Patronages and Presidencies number over 100 and include:

• Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, Honorary Admiral ^[5]
• Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre
• Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
• British Business & General Aviation Association (BBGA)
• Brooklands Museum Trust
• Chartered Institute of Linguists (IoL)
• Children's Burns Trust
• Colfe's School London (Visitor)
• Commission for Global Road Safety ^[6]
• David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
• FIA Foundation
• First Gear
• Genesis Initiative
• Institute of Certified Bookkeepers^[7]
• The Kennel Club
• Light Aircraft Association
• London School of Business and Finance
• National Eye Research Centre
• RoadSafe^[8]
• Royal Automobile Club
• Royal Life Saving Society
• Russo-British Chamber of Commerce
• Society of Genealogists
• SSAFA Forces Help
• Thames Rowing Club
• Veterans Car Club of Great Britain
• World Class Learning Schools Group
• World Monuments Fund (UK).

[edit] Commercial

Given that the Prince does not receive any income from his royal duties, he has the Queen's permission to earn a living from commercial enterprise. As such Prince Michael manages his own consultancy business, and undertakes business throughout the world. He is also a qualified interpreter of Russian.

[edit] Masonic

Prince Michael is also involved with various aspects of Freemasonry - mainly as both the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, and Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex.^[9]

[edit] Marriage

On 30 June 1978, Prince Michael was married, at a civil ceremony, at the Rathaus, Vienna, Austria, to Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, the only child of the Silesian nobleman Baron Gunther Hubertus von Reibnitz, and his Hungarian-born wife, Maria Anna Carolina Franziska Walpurga Bernadette, Countess Szapáry de Muraszombath, Széchysziget et Szapár.

At the time of the marriage, the Baroness was not only a Roman Catholic, but also a divorcée. She was previously married to banker Thomas Troubridge; they separated in 1973, divorced in 1977, and had their marriage annulled by the Roman Catholic Church a year later, two months before her marriage to Prince Michael. Under the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, which governs in each realm the laws of succession to their respective thrones, Prince Michael forfeited his place in the lines of succession through marriage to a Roman Catholic.^[10]

However, his wife became, and remains, a Princess of the United Kingdom, and is styled Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent (not Princess Marie-Christine, since she is not a princess in her own right, but only by right of marriage). Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have two children, both of whom remain in line to the throne because they are not Roman Catholics, having been raised as members of the Church of England:

• Lord Frederick Windsor, born 6 April 1979; married, 12 September 2009, Sophie Winkleman and 32nd in the Line of Succession to the British throne. Educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford. Now with JP Morgan in Los Angeles
• Lady Gabriella Windsor, born 23 April 1981; and 33rd in the Line of Succession to the British throne. Educated at Downe House and Brown University, USA. Now studying for an MPhil In Anthropology at Oxford University.

[edit] Controversy

Both Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have been the focus of negative news stories in the media in the past. These have centred on accusations that the couple exploit their royal status for commercial gain. When it was claimed that the couple pay a rent of only £69 per week (although other sources state the figure as £76) for the use of their apartments at Kensington Palace, a committee of British MPs demanded they be evicted.^[11] The British Monarchy Media Centre, however, refutes these controversial reports and states that, "The Queen is paying the rent for Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's apartment at a commercial rate of £120,000 annually from her own private funds... This rent payment by The Queen is in recognition of the Royal engagements and work for various charities which Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have undertaken at their own expense, and without any public funding."^[12] The Queen agreed to pay the market rent until 2009, after which Prince Michael must assume the payments. Anticipating the loss of his free apartment in London, Michael sold his country house, Nether Lypiatt Manor for £5.75 million in 2006, to the businessman and Labour government minister Lord Drayson.^[13]

It should be noted that a grace and favour apartment for minor royals has a long tradition in the past. Prince Michael's brother and cousin currently have apartments in Kensington Palace, while his sister has one in St. James's Palace. However, they are all considered working royals, performing official duties, whereas Prince and Princess Michael undertake similar duties at their own expense which are not categorised as official. Prince Michael moved to Kensington Palace when he was age 12 with his widowed mother (who died when he was age 26).

[edit] Sport

Prince Michael competed for Great Britain in the 1971 FIBT World Bobsleigh Championships but crashed and failed to finish the event. He was official non-travelling reserve for the 1972 Winter Olympic Games.^[14]

[edit] Russia

Prince Michael has a strong interest in Russia, and is noted for his remarkable physical resemblance to Tsar Nicholas II, a first cousin of three of his grandparents. He attended the burial of the Tsar and his family in St. Petersburg. Prince Michael speaks fluent Russian, and travels there frequently. Prince Michael is an Honorary Member of the Romanov Family Association.^[15]

[edit] Titles, styles, honours and arms

[edit] Titles and styles

Royal styles of Prince Michael of Kent
Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness
Alternative style	Sir

• 4 July 1942 – : His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent
• The prince's style and title in full: His Royal Highness Prince Michael George Charles Franklin of Kent, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.

[edit] Honours

• KCVO: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, 4 July 1992
• GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 2 June 2003
• KStJ: Knight of Justice of the Venerable Order of Saint John
• Орден Дружбы: Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation, 4 November 2009

[edit] Medals

• UN Force in Cyprus(UNFICYP)Medal
• Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953
• Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal 1977
• Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal 2002

[edit] Honorary military appointments

• Colonel-in-Chief, The Essex and Kent Scottish

• Honorary Rear Admiral, Royal Naval Reserve
• Commodore-in-Chief, Maritime Reserves
• Regimental Colonel, Honourable Artillery Company

[edit] Fellowships

• Institution of Highways and Transportation
• Chartered Institute of Linguists
• Royal Aeronautical Society
• Society of Genealogists
• Institute of Road Safety Officers
• Institute of the Motor Industry

[edit] Arms

Prince Michael's personal coat of arms are the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, with a five point label- the standard differentiation for a male-line grandchild of a British monarch. The first, third and fifth points bear a red cross, and the second and fourth points bear a blue anchor.

[edit] Ancestry

Ancestors of Prince Michael of Kent

16. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha               8. Edward VII of the United Kingdom                       17. Victoria of the United Kingdom               4. George V of the United Kingdom                             18. Christian IX of Denmark               9. Princess Alexandra of Denmark                       19. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel               2. Prince George, Duke of Kent                                   20. Duke Alexander of Württemberg               10. Francis, Duke of Teck                       21. Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde               5. Princess Mary of Teck                             22. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge               11. Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge                       23. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel               1. Prince Michael of Kent                                         24. Christian IX of Denmark (= 18)               12. George I of Greece                       25. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel (= 19)               6. Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark                             26. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia               13. Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia                       27. Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg               3. Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark                                   28. Alexander II of Russia               14. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia                       29. Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine               7. Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia                             30. Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin               15. Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                       31. Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz

[edit] See also

• List of British princes

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Royal.gov.uk Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
• Prince Michael of Kent's homepage
• Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex

Prince Michael of Kent House of Windsor Cadet branch of the House of Wettin Born: 4 July 1942
Titles in pretence
Preceded by Leopold Windsor	Line of succession to the Dukedom of Kent 6th position	Succeeded by Lord Frederick Windsor
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Duke of Kent	Gentlemen HRH Prince Michael of Kent	Succeeded by The Earl of Harewood

v · d · eOrder of Precedence in the United Kingdom (Gentlemen) England and Wales The Sovereign • HRH The Duke of Edinburgh • HRH The Prince of Wales • HRH The Duke of York • HRH The Earl of Wessex • HRH Prince William of Wales • HRH Prince Henry of Wales • Viscount Severn • HRH The Duke of Gloucester • HRH The Duke of Kent • HRH Prince Michael of Kent • The Most Rev and Rt Hon Rowan Williams • The Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP • The Most Rev and Rt Hon John Sentamu • The Rt Hon David Cameron MP • The Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP • The Rt Hon John Bercow MP • The Rt Hon The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers QC PC • The Rt Hon The Lord Judge QC PC • The Rt Hon Sir George Young, Bt MP • The Most Hon The Marquess of Cholmondeley KCVO • His Grace The Duke of Norfolk DL • His Grace The Duke of Abercorn KG • The Rt Hon The Earl Peel GCVO PC DL • The Rt Hon The Baron Vestey DL Scotland The Sovereign • HRH The Duke of Edinburgh • HRH The Duke of Rothesay • HRH The Duke of York • HRH The Earl of Wessex • HRH Prince William of Wales • HRH Prince Henry of Wales • Viscount Severn • Mr Peter Phillips • Viscount Linley • HRH The Duke of Gloucester • HRH The Duke of Kent • HRH Prince Michael of Kent • The Rt Hon The Earl of Harewood • The Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP • The Rt Rev William Hewitt • The Rt Hon David Cameron MP • The Rt Hon John Bercow MP • The Rt Hon The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers QC PC • The Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP • Alex Fergusson MSP • The Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP • The Rt Hon The Earl of Erroll • His Grace The Duke of Argyll Northern Ireland The Sovereign • HRH The Duke of Edinburgh • HRH The Prince of Wales • HRH The Duke of York • HRH The Earl of Wessex • HRH Prince William of Wales • HRH Prince Henry of Wales • Viscount Severn • Mr Peter Phillips • Viscount Linley • HRH The Duke of Gloucester • HRH The Duke of Kent • HRH Prince Michael of Kent • The Rt Hon The Earl of Harewood • His Eminence Cardinal Seán Brady • The Most Rev Alan Harper, OBE  • The Most Rev Diarmuid Martin • The Most Rev John Niell • The Rt Rev Stafford Carson • The Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP • The Rt Hon David Cameron MP • The Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP • The Rt Hon John Bercow MP • The Rt Hon The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers QC PC • The Rt Hon Sir George Young, Bt MP • The Most Hon The Marquess of Cholmondeley KCVO • His Grace The Duke of Norfolk DL • The Rt Hon The Earl of Dalhousie not including short-term appointments, visiting dignitaries and most peers

v · d · eBritish princes 1st generation George II 2nd generation Frederick, Prince of Wales · Prince George William · William, Duke of Cumberland 3rd generation George III · Edward, Duke of York · William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh · Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn · Prince Frederick 4th generation George IV · Frederick, Duke of York and Albany · William IV · Edward, Duke of Kent · Ernest Augustus I of Hanover · Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex · Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge · The Prince Octavius · The Prince Alfred · William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh 5th generation Albert, Prince Consort1  · George V of Hanover · George, Duke of Cambridge 6th generation Edward VII · Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn · Leopold, Duke of Albany · Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover 7th generation Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale · George V · John of Wales · Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · George William of Hanover · Arthur of Connaught · Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · Christian of Hanover · Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick 8th generation Edward VIII · George VI · Henry, Duke of Gloucester · George, Duke of Kent · The Prince John · John Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · Ernest Augustus IV, Prince of Hanover · Alastair, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn · George of Hanover 9th generation Philip, Duke of Edinburgh2  · William of Gloucester · Richard, Duke of Gloucester · Edward, Duke of Kent · Michael of Kent 10th generation Charles, Prince of Wales · Andrew, Duke of York · Edward, Earl of Wessex 11th generation William of Wales · Henry of Wales · James, Viscount Severn ^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.

Persondata
Name	Kent, Michael
Alternative names	Windsor, Michael George Charles Franklin
Short description	Grandson of George V
Date of birth	4 July 1942
Place of birth	Iver, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Date of death
Place of death