The Duke of Kent turns 86 today. From the age of six, when he inherited his father’s dukedom, Edward has been poised for a life of royal duty and military service. He has represented his cousin, The Queen, for over 50 years, and has focused his royal career on areas related to sport, engineering, industry, and military activities, including commemoration of those lost in war.
Though he has slowed down his daily schedule, the Duke of Kent still maintained major appointments on his agenda in the past year. Let’s take a look at the past year of the Duke of Kent’s life.
November 2020
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In November, the Duke of Kent laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. The Duke of Kent graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy in 1955 and spent the next 20 years of his military career serving both at home and abroad, including two years in Hong Kong. He retired from the military in 1976 having achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
The Duke of Kent kept his engagements throughout the winter by holding telephone and video meetings with his patronages. In January he wrote to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to wish them a Happy New Year.
April 2021
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On 17 April, the Duke of Kent was one of the few mourners present at the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh at St. George’s Chapel. He and his sister, Princess Alexandra, were the only members of the Kent family to attend the funeral, due to the restrictions on the numbers of mourners allowed.
June 2021
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The Duke of Kent once again accompanied The Queen to Trooping the Colour. This year’s ceremony was once again curtailed due to the ongoing pandemic, and took place in the Quandrangle at Windsor Castle. The Duke of Kent is Colonel of the Scots Guard and has participated in Trooping the Colour for decades. He began accompanying his cousin upon the retirement of the Duke of Edinburgh.
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Later that month, he welcomed the return of Wimbledon by attending the first day of its championships. For the next 14 days, the Duke of Kent could be seen in the Royal Box for his final tournament as President. At one match, where the creator of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was a special guest in the Royal Box, the Duke of Kent joined in a standing ovation to thank her.
On 8 June, the Duke and Duchess of Kent celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The Royal Family did not publicly mark the occasion, but Royal Central took a look back on that special day.
July 2021
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On 11 July, he presented his final Wimbledon trophy to Novak Djokovic, who won the Men’s Singles. In an open letter published in the Telegraph on championship weekend, the Duke wrote: “It has been an honour to serve this remarkable organisation for as long as I have. The presidency of the club was held by both of my parents, and the weight of representing an institution that holds such a unique place in our nation’s fabric has not been lost on me. To say I will miss it is an understatement.”
At Royal Central, we compiled some of the best pictures of the Duke of Kent at Wimbledon over the years.
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For his years of service, the Duke of Kent received a replica trophy from Wimbledon organisers. Most of his family were in the Royal Box during the final match.
Elsewhere, the Duke wrote of his hope that England would win the Euro Championship Final against Italy. He served as President of the Football Association from 1971 to 2000.
September 2021
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On 3 September, the Duke of Kent travelled to the Palace of Holyroodhouse to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
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On 10 September, he attended the blessing of Flora Ogilvy and Timothy Vesterberg’s marriage at St. James’s Piccadilly in London. Flora is his great-niece; the granddaughter of Princess Alexandra.
