| Prince Michael | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portrait byAllan Warren, 2014 | |||||
| Born | (1942-07-04)4 July 1942 (age 83) Coppins,Iver,Buckinghamshire, England | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | |||||
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| House | Windsor | ||||
| Father | Prince George, Duke of Kent | ||||
| Mother | Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
| Education | |||||
| Military career | |||||
| Branch | British Army | ||||
| Years of active service | 1961–1981 | ||||
| Rank | Major (active service) | ||||
| Unit | 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) | ||||
| Battles / wars | Cyprus dispute | ||||
| Royal family of the United Kingdom and the otherCommonwealth realms |
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Prince Michael of Kent (Michael George Charles Franklin; born 4 July 1942) is a member of theBritish royal family who is 53rd inline to the British throne as of 2025. The younger son ofPrince George, Duke of Kent, andPrincess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson ofGeorge V, nephew ofEdward VIII andGeorge VI, and first cousin ofElizabeth II. Michael's mother was also a first cousin ofPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Queen Elizabeth II, making him both a second cousin and first cousin once removed toCharles III.
Michael occasionally represented Queen Elizabeth II at some functions inCommonwealth realms outside the United Kingdom during her reign. 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.
Michael was born on 4 July 1942, atCoppins,Iver, Buckinghamshire.[1] He was the third child ofPrince George, Duke of Kent, who was the fourth son ofKing George V andQueen Mary and a younger brother of kingsEdward VIII andGeorge VI. At birth, Michael was seventh in line to the British throne. His mother wasPrincess Marina, a daughter ofPrince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark andGrand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia.
At Michael's baptism on 4 August 1942 in the Private Chapel ofWindsor Castle, his godparents were his paternal unclethe King;Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (for whom her son-in-lawPrince Bernhard stood proxy);King Haakon VII of Norway (his great-uncle); US PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt (for whom the Duke of Kent stood proxy);[2]Frederica of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Greece (his first cousin once removed, who was absent);Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (his paternal uncle, who was absent); theDowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (his paternal first cousin twice removed); andLady Patricia Ramsay (his paternal first cousin twice removed). Because of the war, newspaper reports did not identify the location of the baptism and said instead that it took place at "a private chapel in the country".[3]
Seven weeks after Michael's birth, his father waskilled in a plane crash nearDunbeath,Caithness, Scotland, on 25 August 1942.[4]
At the age of five, Michael was apage boy atthe wedding of his cousinsPrincess Elizabeth andLieutenant Philip Mountbatten.[5]
Michael was educated atSunningdale School andEton College[6] and is fluent in French as well as having a "working knowledge"[7] of German and Italian.[7] He is the first member of the royal family to learn Russian,[6] of which he is a qualified interpreter.[7]
Michael was commissioned into the11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) in 1963. He later served inThe Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) after the amalgamation between the 11th Hussars and the10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) in 1969. He saw service in Germany,Hong Kong, andCyprus, where his squadron formed part of a United Nations peacekeeping force in 1971. Subsequent tours of duty, during a military career that spanned twenty years, included a number of appointments on theDefence Intelligence Staff. He retired from the Army with the rank ofMajor in 1981.[8][9]
In 1994, Michael was made HonoraryCommodore (later Honorary Rear Admiral and then Vice Admiral) of theRoyal Naval Reserve, and in 2002, he was madeHonorary Air Commodore ofRAF Benson (promoted to Honorary Air Marshal in 2012). From 2009 to 2012, he was Regimental Colonel of theHonourable Artillery Company and on 31 January 2012 became its Royal Honorary Colonel.[10] He is alsoColonel-in-Chief of theEssex and Kent Scottish Regiment in Canada.
As the third child of George V's fourth son, it was not expected that Michael, as the only second son in the extended royal family, would undertake many engagements on behalf of the royal family. 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 aparliamentary annuity or an allowance from the BritishPrivy Purse, unlike both his elder brother,Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and his sister,Princess Alexandra, who both carry out official royal duties. He was given the use of agrace and favour apartment atKensington Palace upon his marriage in 1978.[11]
Michael represented the Queen at state funerals in India, Cyprus andSwaziland and, with his wife,Princess Michael of Kent, represented the Queen at the independence celebrations inBelize, and at the coronation of KingMswati III of Swaziland.
Michael supports a large number of charities and organisations.[12] Some of his patronages and presidencies include:the Kennel Club,[13] Children's Burns Trust,[14]Maritime Volunteer Service,[15] theAssociation of Dunkirk Little Ships,[16]Life Saving Society,[17]Royal Automobile Club,[18] National Eye Research Centre,[19]Motor Sports Association,[20] Brooklands Museum Trust,[21] theLight Aircraft Association,[22] and theLondon School of Business and Finance.[23]
ThePrince Michael Road Safety Award was created in 1987 to give public recognition to those improving road safety throughout Great Britain and later the world in general.[24][25] Michael also set up the Prince Michael of Kent Foundation in 2004 to support projects in Russia, including heritage and cultural restoration.[26]
He announced his retirement from public life in June 2022 as he approached his 80th birthday.[27]
On 30 June 1978, Michael marriedBaroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz in acivil ceremony at the City Hall (Wiener Rathaus) inVienna, Austria. As a Roman Catholic divorcée, previously married to banker ThomasTroubridge, with a Churchannulment granted in May 1978, Marie-Christine requiredpapal dispensation for a Catholic ceremony.Pope Paul VI had initially refused,[28] butPope John Paul II later granted permission.[29] The couple received a Catholic blessing of their marriage and renewed their vows on 29 June 1983 at Archbishop's House, London. Marie-Christine has namedLord Mountbatten as their matchmaker.[30]
Under the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, Michael forfeited his place in the line of succession to the throne through his marriage to a Catholic.[31] He was reinstated on 26 March 2015 with the coming into force of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, and is 54th in line to the throne as of January 2025.[32]
Michael and Marie-Christine have two children, both brought up as members of theChurch of England and therefore in the line of succession to the throne since birth:
In 2014, Michael was successfully treated forprostate cancer.[34]
Michael manages his own consultancy business, and undertakes business throughout the world.[35] He is also a qualifiedinterpreter of Russian.[36][37]
Michael is an activeFreemason.[38] He is theGrand Master of theGrand Lodge ofMark Master Masons,[39] and Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex.[40]
Michael speaks fluent Russian[41] and has a strong interest in Russia, where he is a well-known figure (he is a former recipient of theOrder of Friendship). TsarNicholas II was a first cousin of three of his grandparents: George V, Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. When the bodies of the Tsar and some of his family were recovered in 1991, the remains were later identified by DNA using, among others, a sample from Michael for recognition.[42] He attended the 1998 burial of the Tsar and his family in St Petersburg.[43] He is an honorary member of theRomanov Family Association.[44] He is also the second cousin ofMaria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia, who is a claimant to the headship of the Imperial Family of Russia. They share the same great-grandfather,Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. Michael is the patron of organisations which have close ties with Russia, including the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce and the St Gregory's Foundation.[45] In his capacity as patron of Children's Fire and Burns Trust, Michael has led fundraising rallies in 1999 and 2003 in Russia to raise money for the charity. He also led another rally in 2005 and raised money for theRoyal Marsden Hospital and Britain's Charities Aid Foundation Russia.[45]
Michael served as the Patron of theRusso-British Chamber of Commerce (RBCC). He left the position in 2022.[46][47]
On 4 March 2022, Michael returned the Order of Friendship due to theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[48]
Michael of Kent made a visit to Finland in 2017, during which he visitedHelsinki,Espoo,Porvoo,Pori, andTampere. The visit concluded with a gala dinner at theHouse of Nobility in Helsinki. The purpose of the multi-day visit was to enhance trade and investment relations between Britain and Finland.[49]
In 2022, Michael visited Finland again, this time focusing on Tampere, Lempäälä, and Helsinki during the British Week. As part of his visit, he participated in various events, including a gala dinner atSvenska Klubben in Helsinki. One of the highlights of his trip was attending the British WeekPlatinum Jubilee 2022 Banquet in Helsinki. Additionally, Michael and the British delegation visited several locations in Tampere, such as the Naistenlahti Powerplant,Nokia Arena, and the Kokkovuori Shooting Center in Lempäälä. During his visit, Michael visited theMannerheim Museum, which is the former home of MarshalCarl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim in Helsinki.[50][51][52]
Michael was a part of theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst rowing crew that won the Maiden Fours at Bedford in 1961.[53] He competed for Great Britain in the1971 FIBT World Bobsleigh Championships but crashed and failed to finish the event. He was official non-travelling reserve for the1972 Winter Olympics.[54] He took part in the1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally in an Austin Maxi, but he and his crew failed to finish the event.
In 2002, both Michael and his wife were the subject of criticism over the rent paid on their accommodation at Kensington Palace following scrutiny by theHouse of Commons Public Accounts committee on the cost of royal palaces and whether they were value for money.[55] The committee had called on the Queen to evict its residents and put the apartments on a more commercial footing. When it was claimed that the couple paid a rent of only £69 per week for the use of their apartments at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace announced 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."[56]
Michael has been scrutinized for financial assistance given to him by exiled Russian oligarchBoris Berezovsky through offshore companies, with a reported total of £320,000 in payments over the period 2002–2008.[57] In an interview withThe Sunday Times, Berezovsky stated, "There is nothing underhand or improper about the financial assistance I have given Prince Michael. It is a matter between friends."[58]
In May 2021, reports were published stating that Michael was "selling access" toVladimir Putin's political representatives.[59][60] Footage from aZoom call was released of Michael, alongsideSimon Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading, interacting with undercover reporters posing as business executives seeking to make contacts with theKremlin. In the video, he assured the men that his close ties with the country would be of benefit, and that he could introduce them to high-ranking figures within the Russian government in exchange for money. The call took place the day after theEuropean Union imposed sanctions on the Kremlin.[59] Michael was being offered £143,000 for a proposal and £36,000 a month by the faux businessmen, which he expressed satisfaction with. The Marquess claimed that Michael was the Queen's "unofficial ambassador to Russia" and had direct access to Putin. He later stated that he had "overpromised", while Michael said that he had not had contact with Putin since 2003. In a 2019 interview, Michael stated that he visited Russia twice a year as part of his work for the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce.[59]
Marina Litvinenko denounced the Michael's actions, saying that it demonstrated that he did not "care about human rights, democracy, about the people who are dying in Russia or what he did to your own citizens on UK soil".[59] Conservative MPBob Seely released a statement saying, in part: "We have sanctions against President Putin's regime for good reason. I'd love to know what Prince Michael thinks he is doing by making the UK's values and standards look optional."[59]
As a child of a younger son of a British sovereign, he is styled as aBritish prince with the prefixHis Royal Highness and a territorial designation deriving from his father's dukedom: "His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent".
Calabar, NigeriaA person of honour and high standing in the Efik Eburutu Kingdom (Efik:Ada Idagha Ke Efik Eburutu).[61]
2 June 1953: Recipient of theQueen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal[62]
6 February 1977: Recipient of theQueen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal[62]_ribbon_-vector.svg)
18 January 2001:Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John (KStJ)
6 February 2002: Recipient of theQueen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal[62]
2 June 2003:Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)[63]
6 February 2012: Recipient of theQueen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal[62]
19 October 2015: Recipient of theCanadian Forces' Decoration (CD)[65]
6 February 2022: Recipient of theQueen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal[62]
6 May 2023: Recipient of theKing Charles III Coronation Medal
UN: Recipient of theUnited Nations Medal forUNFICYP (1971)
Russia:Member of the Order of Friendship (4 November 2009 – 4 March 2022)[45][48]
Two Sicilies:Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I (19 August 2017)[66]
Peru:Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun (2 November 1994)The ribbons worn regularly by Michael in undress uniform are as follows:
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Colonel-in-Chief,The Essex and Kent Scottish (14 November 2001 – present)[65]
Honorary Commodore, Royal Naval Reserve (1 April 1994 – 2004)[67] Honorary Commodore,Maritime Volunteer Service HonoraryRear Admiral, Royal Naval Reserve (2004–2015)[68] HonoraryVice Admiral, Royal Naval Reserve (9 March 2015 – present)[69] Honorary Auxiliary Commodore,Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (1990)[70]Commodore-in-Chief, Maritime Reserves (2006–present)
HonoraryColonel,British Army (10 November 2010 – present) Senior Colonel,The King's Royal Hussars[71] Regimental Colonel, Honourable Artillery Company (2009–2012)[10] Royal Honorary Colonel, Honourable Artillery Company (31 January 2012 – present).[10] (member since 1981)
Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Benson (27 June 2002 – 2012)[72] HonoraryAir Marshal of RAF Benson (1 March 2012 – present)[73][74] |
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| Name | Birth | Marriage | Children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Frederick Windsor | 6 April 1979 | 12 September 2009 | Sophie Winkleman | Maud Windsor Isabella Windsor |
| Lady Gabriella Kingston | 23 April 1981 | 18 May 2019 | Thomas Kingston (died 25 February 2024)[78] | None |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Prince Michael of Kent Born: 4 July 1942 | ||
| Lines of succession | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Line of succession to the British throne son ofGeorge, Duke of Kent grandson ofGeorge V | Succeeded by |
| Order of precedence in England and Wales | ||
| Preceded by | Gentlemen HRH Prince Michael of Kent | Succeeded byasLord High Chancellor of Great Britain |
| Order of precedence in Scotland | ||
| Preceded by | Gentlemen HRH Prince Michael of Kent | Succeeded by |
| Order of precedence in Northern Ireland | ||
| Preceded by | Gentlemen HRH Prince Michael of Kent | Succeeded by |
Generations are numbered by their descent fromGeorge V andMary of Teck | ||
| 1st generation | | |
| 2nd generation | ||
| 3rd generation | ||
| 4th generation | ||
| 5th generation | ||
*Descendant ofElizabeth II and therefore use the surnameMountbatten-Windsor, but officially considered members of the House of Windsor | ||
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