The Duke of Kent was surprised and touched when his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II, asked him to stand next to her during Trooping the Colour.
The Duke’s daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, has revealed to True Royalty TV that Prince Edward didn’t expect the invitation at all and found it ”rather wonderful.”
Speaking to True Royalty’s ‘The Royal Beat Book Club”, Lady Helen spoke of the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke, noting that ‘‘he was always rather surprised and touched when she asked him to do things like stand on the dais at Trooping.”
The Duke of Kent, who has just retired as Colonel of the Scots Guards, began accompanying his cousin at the important event once both had finished riding in it and the Duke of Edinburgh had retired from public duties. Lady Helen tells presenter, Kate Thornton, when he found out that his cousin wanted him at her side for the Sovereign’s Birthday Parade, his response ‘was one of shock. She noted the Duke said ”’it’s rather wonderful I’ve been asked to stand next to Lilibet on the day of Trooping’.
And she added that he was ”surprised” before continuing ”he needn’t have been surprised at all. He was the obvious choice. It was all very sweet and very touching.”
The Duke accompanied Queen Elizabeth to several Troopings including one held at Windsor during the pandemic. And he famously stood at Her Late Majesty’s side as she took a salute from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping that began the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
The Royal Beat Book Club discusses Hugo Vickers’ book on the Duke of Kent, ‘A Royal Life’, based on a series of conversations about Prince Edward’s long years of service to the Royal Family.
And Lady Helen tells the programme that she doesn’t want her father to retire as he wouldn’t know what to do with himself without his royal duties.
The full episode is available on True Royalty TV.
