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Prince Richard was born at Hadley Common in Hertfordshire. His father was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V & Queen Mary. His mother was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (née Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott), a daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch. As a patrilineal grandson of the British monarch, he was styled His Royal Highness Prince Richard of Gloucester from birth. He is currently 31st in line to the British throne. He is the senior male line descendant of Queen Victoria.
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He studied Architecture, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in June 1966; he proceeded as MA (Cantab) in 1971
The Prince intended to practice full-time as an architect, but took on other responsibilities in 1972, after the death of his elder brother Prince William, who crashed his plane in a flying competition. Richard became first in line to his father's dukedom & had to take on additional family obligations & royal duties on behalf of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Richard married the Danish-born Birgitte van Deurs in 1972 they have three children & six grandchildren. On 10 June 1974, Prince Richard succeeded to his father's titles as Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster, & Baron Culloden.
The Duke of Gloucester is The Queen’s cousin & a full-time working member of the Royal Family. He attends national & international events in support of King Charles III & his duties as Head of State, as well as undertaking extensive public duties & engagements every year reflecting his own interests & charities.
The Duke of Gloucester carries out a significant number of public duties & undertakes hundreds of official engagements in the UK & overseas each year. The Duke is associated with over 150 charities & organisations. His patronages reflect his professional & personal interests, which include international humanitarian issues, heritage & the built environment & military veterans.
His Royal Highness first represented The Queen overseas in 1970, at the wedding of Crown Prince Birendra of Nepal. The Duke has subsequently attended the independence celebrations of the Seychelles, the Solomon Islands, St Vincent & the Grenadines, & Vanuatu.
More recently, The Duke represented Her Majesty at the Funeral of King Tupou V of Tonga in March 2012; at the Vatican for the Inauguration of Pope Francis on 19 March 2013; & in South Korea for the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice in July 2013. In 2015, the Duke represented the Queen at the ceremonies marking the reburial & commemorations of King Richard III in Leicester Cathedral. The King had held the title Duke of Gloucester himself before his ascension to the English throne.
www.TheBritishMonarchy.co.uk - Promoting the Royal Family Past and Present
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