Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Encyclopedia
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom
and Mary of Teck
. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy
. Prior to her marriage she was known as Princess Alexandra of Kent, being the first princess to use the territorial designation of Kent since Queen Victoria, who was, prior to her accession, known as Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent.
Princess Alexandra carries out royal duties on behalf of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. As of October 2011 she is 39th in the line of succession
to the thrones of 16 states; at the time of her birth in 1936, she was sixth in line to the thrones of seven countries.
, London. Her father was The Prince George, Duke of Kent
, the fourth son of George V
and Queen Mary
. Her mother was Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, a daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
. As a male-line granddaughter of the British monarch, she was styled as a British princess
with the prefix Her Royal Highness. At the time of her birth, she was sixth in the line of succession to the British throne. The Princess was baptised in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace
, on 9 February 1937, and her godparents were: King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth
(her paternal uncle and aunt); the Queen of Norway
(her grandaunt); Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (her maternal grandmother); Princess Olga of Yugoslavia
(her maternal aunt); the Princess Beatrice
(her paternal great-grandaunt); the Earl of Athlone
(her paternal granduncle); and Count Karl Theodor of Törring-Jettenbach (her maternal uncle by marriage). Of her godparents, only the King and Queen and Lord Athlone were present. She was named after her great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, her maternal grandmother, Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, and both of her maternal aunts, Countess Karl Theodor of Törring-Jettenbach and Princess Paul of Yugoslavia. She received the name Christabel because she was born on Christmas Day like her aunt by marriage Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
.
Princess Alexandra spent most of her childhood at her family's country house, Coppins
, in Buckinghamshire
. She lived with her grandmother Queen Mary
, the widow of George V, during World War II at Badminton
. Her father was killed in an aeroplane crash near Caithness, Scotland on 25 August 1942 while serving in the Royal Air Force
.
She served as bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousins, the then-Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh
, on 20 November 1947. The Queen is Princess Alexandra's paternal first cousin; The Duke of Edinburgh is Princess Alexandra's maternal first cousin once removed. (The Duke and Princess Marina were first cousins.) Princess Alexandra has the distinction of being the first British princess to have attended an ordinary school, Heathfield School near Ascot
.
(1928–2004), the second son of the 12th Earl of Airlie
and Lady Alexandra Coke, at Westminster Abbey
. The wedding ceremony was attended by all the members of the Royal Family and was broadcast worldwide on television, watched by an estimated 200 million people.
Ogilvy declined the Queen's offer of an Earldom upon marriage. This meant that any children they might have would carry no titles at all.
Angus Ogilvy remained in line to the Earldom of Airlie until his death. He received a Knighthood in 1988, and was appointed to the Privy Council
in 1997. Princess Alexandra and Sir Angus have two children, James and Marina, and four grandchildren, none of whom carry out Royal duties:
Since the late 1950s, Princess Alexandra has carried out an extensive programme of royal engagements in support of the Queen, both in the United Kingdom and overseas. Taking part in roughly 120 engagements each year, Princess Alexandra is one of the most active members of the Royal Family.
Princess Alexandra was 15 years old when her cousin ascended to the throne. It has been customary for eldest sons to carry out official duties which are included in the Court Circular. Princess Alexandra was asked by the Queen to undertake such duties because of a lack of female members of the family. The only other princesses by birth were the Queen's sister Margaret
, and the Queen's young daughter, Princess Anne
.
In 1959, she carried out an extensive tour of Australia, and attended the Queensland
Centenary Celebrations. She returned to the country in 1967 for a private holiday, but also carried out engagements in Canberra
and Melbourne. The Princess represented the Queen when Nigeria
gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, and later opened the first Parliament on 3 October. Later overseas tours included visits to Canada, Italy, Oman
, Hungary
, Norway
, Thailand, Gibraltar
and the Falkland Islands
.
Princess Alexandra served as Chancellor
of Lancaster University
since its foundation in 1964, a post she relinquished in 2005 (when she also accepted an honorary degree in Music). She is also an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Royal College of Physicians. She is also the President of Alexandra Rose Day
, which was founded in honour of her great-grandmother, Alexandra of Denmark
. She has recently given up the patronage of The Royal School, Hampstead, which was founded in 1855. The new Patron of the School is The Duchess of Cornwall.
Princess Alexandra receives £225,000 per year from the Civil List
to cover the cost of official expenses; although like the other members of the Royal Family (except the Duke of Edinburgh) the Queen repays this amount to the Treasury
. Alexandra lives at Thatched House Lodge
in Richmond, London a Crown property purchased on a 150-year lease from the Crown Estate Commissioners by Sir Angus Ogilvy after their wedding in 1963.
It was reported in the London Evening Standard on 11 January 2006, that a widow living alone in the seven-bedroom house was too full of memories and that she wanted to sell her lease. However, she currently has not changed her mind. She also has use of a grace-and-favour apartment at St James's Palace in London. Her husband supported Alexandra in Royal duties at times, although he also had an independent career.
She is the patron of the Blackie Foundation Trust, a charity dedicated to the promotion of research and education in homoeopathy. She is also a patron of the English National Opera
, the London Philharmonic Choir
, the not-for-profit housing association Anchor, the charity Independent Age
, St Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, England, the Nature in Art
Trust and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
(LAMDA), the oldest drama school in the English speaking world and President of WWF-UK
. She has been the patron of the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children
in Brighton
since 1954.
. The Prime Minister at the time, Edward Heath
, criticised the company, and Ogilvy resigned his directorships.
Commonwealth Realms Honours Canadian Forces Decoration
Canada – Colonel-in-Chief, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
(1960–2010) – Colonel-in-Chief, The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) (11 June 1977 – present) http://www.canadianscottishregiment.ca/index.php?page_id=1024
United Kingdom Patron, Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
(since 1955) Patron and Air Chief Commandant, of Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service
Royal Colonel, 3rd Battalion The Rifles
Honorary Air Commodore, of RAF Cottesmore
Royal Honorary Colonel, of The Royal Yeomanry
Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of The Queen's Royal Lancers
Former Commonwealth British Crown Colony
, with a five point label—the standard differentiation for a male-line grandchild of a British Monarch. The first and fifth points bear a red heart, the second and fourth points bear a blue anchor, and the third point bears a red cross.
in England and Wales
and in Northern Ireland
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy
Angus Ogilvy
Sir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy, was a British businessman best known as the husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II....
. Prior to her marriage she was known as Princess Alexandra of Kent, being the first princess to use the territorial designation of Kent since Queen Victoria, who was, prior to her accession, known as Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent.
Princess Alexandra carries out royal duties on behalf of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. As of October 2011 she is 39th in the line of succession
Line of succession to the British Throne
The line of succession to the British throne is the ordered sequence of those people eligible to succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom and the other 15 Commonwealth realms. By the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, the succession is limited to the descendants of the Electress Sophia of...
to the thrones of 16 states; at the time of her birth in 1936, she was sixth in line to the thrones of seven countries.
Early life
Princess Alexandra was born on 25 December 1936 at 3 Belgrave SquareBelgrave Square
Belgrave Square is one of the grandest and largest 19th century squares in London, England. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later the 1st Marquess of Westminster, in the 1820s. Most of the houses were occupied...
, London. Her father was The Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
, the fourth son of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
. Her mother was Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, a daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark , of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the fourth child and third son of George I, King of the Hellenes, and of Queen Olga. He was known as "Greek Nicky" in the family to distinguish him from his cousin Czar Nicholas II of Russia...
and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia 17 January 1882 – 13 March 1957, sometimes known as Helen, Helena, Helene, Ellen, Yelena, Hélène, or Eleni, was a Russian grand duchess as the daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
. As a male-line granddaughter of the British monarch, she was styled as a British princess
British princess
This is a list of British princesses from the accession of King George I in 1714. This article deals with both princesses of the blood royal and women who become princesses upon marriage....
with the prefix Her Royal Highness. At the time of her birth, she was sixth in the line of succession to the British throne. The Princess was baptised in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, on 9 February 1937, and her godparents were: King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
(her paternal uncle and aunt); the Queen of Norway
Maud of Wales
Princess Maud of Wales was Queen of Norway as spouse of King Haakon VII. She was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark and granddaughter of Queen Victoria and also of Christian IX of Denmark. She was the younger sister of George V...
(her grandaunt); Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (her maternal grandmother); Princess Olga of Yugoslavia
Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark
Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark was the granddaughter of King George I of Greece and wife of the last Prince Regent of Yugoslavia.-Early life:...
(her maternal aunt); the Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom
The Princess Beatrice was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Juan Carlos, King of Spain, is her great-grandson...
(her paternal great-grandaunt); the Earl of Athlone
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
(her paternal granduncle); and Count Karl Theodor of Törring-Jettenbach (her maternal uncle by marriage). Of her godparents, only the King and Queen and Lord Athlone were present. She was named after her great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, her maternal grandmother, Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, and both of her maternal aunts, Countess Karl Theodor of Törring-Jettenbach and Princess Paul of Yugoslavia. She received the name Christabel because she was born on Christmas Day like her aunt by marriage Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was a member of the British Royal Family, the wife and then widow of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of George V and Queen Mary.The daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry, Scotland’s largest landowner, her brothers Walter and...
.
Princess Alexandra spent most of her childhood at her family's country house, Coppins
Coppins
Coppins is a country house north of the village of Iver in Buckinghamshire, England, formerly a home of members of the British Royal Family, including Princess Victoria, Prince George, 1st Duke of Kent, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent and Prince Edward, 2nd Duke of Kent .-History:The house was...
, in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. She lived with her grandmother Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, the widow of George V, during World War II at Badminton
Badminton House
Badminton House is a large country house in Gloucestershire, England, and has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century, when the family moved from Raglan Castle, which had been ruined in the English Civil War...
. Her father was killed in an aeroplane crash near Caithness, Scotland on 25 August 1942 while serving in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
She served as bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousins, the then-Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, on 20 November 1947. The Queen is Princess Alexandra's paternal first cousin; The Duke of Edinburgh is Princess Alexandra's maternal first cousin once removed. (The Duke and Princess Marina were first cousins.) Princess Alexandra has the distinction of being the first British princess to have attended an ordinary school, Heathfield School near Ascot
Ascot, Berkshire
Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting...
.
Marriage
On 24 April 1963, she married the Hon Angus James Bruce OgilvyAngus Ogilvy
Sir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy, was a British businessman best known as the husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II....
(1928–2004), the second son of the 12th Earl of Airlie
David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie
Colonel David Lyulph Gore Wolseley Ogilvy, 12th and 7th Earl of Airlie, KT, GCVO, MC was a Scottish peer, soldier and courtier....
and Lady Alexandra Coke, at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. The wedding ceremony was attended by all the members of the Royal Family and was broadcast worldwide on television, watched by an estimated 200 million people.
Ogilvy declined the Queen's offer of an Earldom upon marriage. This meant that any children they might have would carry no titles at all.
Angus Ogilvy remained in line to the Earldom of Airlie until his death. He received a Knighthood in 1988, and was appointed to the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in 1997. Princess Alexandra and Sir Angus have two children, James and Marina, and four grandchildren, none of whom carry out Royal duties:
- James OgilvyJames OgilvyJames Robert Bruce Ogilvy is the elder child and only son of the late Sir Angus Ogilvy and Princess Alexandra of Kent. He was born in Thatched House Lodge, Richmond Park, Surrey and was the first of four babies born to royals in 1964. When he was born he was 13th in the line of succession to the...
, born 29 February 1964; married, 30 July 1988, Julia Rawlinson; had issue.- Flora Alexandra Ogilvy, born 15 December 1994.
- Alexander Charles Ogilvy, born 12 November 1996.
- Marina Victoria Alexandra Ogilvy, born Thatched House LodgeThatched House LodgeThatched House Lodge is a royal residence in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England.The main house has six reception rooms and six bedrooms, and it stands in four acres of grounds. The gardens include an eighteenth-century two-room thatched summer house which gave the main...
, 31 July 1966; married, Richmond ParkRichmond ParkRichmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
, Surrey, 2 February 1990, Paul Julian Mowatt, born HendonHendonHendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
, 28 November 1962; divorced 4 December 1997; had issue.- Zenouska May Mowatt, born London, 26 May 1990.
- Christian Alexander Mowatt, born London, 4 June 1993.
Royal duties
Princess Alexandra was 15 years old when her cousin ascended to the throne. It has been customary for eldest sons to carry out official duties which are included in the Court Circular. Princess Alexandra was asked by the Queen to undertake such duties because of a lack of female members of the family. The only other princesses by birth were the Queen's sister Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
, and the Queen's young daughter, Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
.
In 1959, she carried out an extensive tour of Australia, and attended the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
Centenary Celebrations. She returned to the country in 1967 for a private holiday, but also carried out engagements in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and Melbourne. The Princess represented the Queen when Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, and later opened the first Parliament on 3 October. Later overseas tours included visits to Canada, Italy, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Thailand, Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
.
Princess Alexandra served as Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
since its foundation in 1964, a post she relinquished in 2005 (when she also accepted an honorary degree in Music). She is also an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Royal College of Physicians. She is also the President of Alexandra Rose Day
Alexandra Rose Day
Alexandra Rose Day is a charitable fund raising event held in the United Kingdom since 1912. It was first launched on the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Queen Alexandra, the consort of King Edward VII, from her native Denmark to the UK...
, which was founded in honour of her great-grandmother, Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
. She has recently given up the patronage of The Royal School, Hampstead, which was founded in 1855. The new Patron of the School is The Duchess of Cornwall.
Princess Alexandra receives £225,000 per year from the Civil List
Civil list
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom, the Civil List is the name given to the annual grant that covers some expenses associated with the Sovereign performing their official duties, including those for staff salaries, State Visits, public engagements, ceremonial functions and the upkeep of the...
to cover the cost of official expenses; although like the other members of the Royal Family (except the Duke of Edinburgh) the Queen repays this amount to the Treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
. Alexandra lives at Thatched House Lodge
Thatched House Lodge
Thatched House Lodge is a royal residence in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England.The main house has six reception rooms and six bedrooms, and it stands in four acres of grounds. The gardens include an eighteenth-century two-room thatched summer house which gave the main...
in Richmond, London a Crown property purchased on a 150-year lease from the Crown Estate Commissioners by Sir Angus Ogilvy after their wedding in 1963.
It was reported in the London Evening Standard on 11 January 2006, that a widow living alone in the seven-bedroom house was too full of memories and that she wanted to sell her lease. However, she currently has not changed her mind. She also has use of a grace-and-favour apartment at St James's Palace in London. Her husband supported Alexandra in Royal duties at times, although he also had an independent career.
She is the patron of the Blackie Foundation Trust, a charity dedicated to the promotion of research and education in homoeopathy. She is also a patron of the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
, the London Philharmonic Choir
London Philharmonic Choir
The London Philharmonic Choir is one of the leading independent British choirs in the United Kingdom based in London. The Patron is Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy and Sir Roger Norrington is President. The choir, comprising over 200 members, holds charitable status and is governed by a...
, the not-for-profit housing association Anchor, the charity Independent Age
Independent Age
Independent Age is a registered charity which supports thousands of older people across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The charity offers a 'helping hand from a trusted friend', tackling older people's poverty and loneliness by offering information, advice and friendship.-Services:All people...
, St Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, England, the Nature in Art
Nature in Art
Nature in Art is a museum and art gallery at Wallsworth Hall, Twigworth, Gloucester, England, dedicated exclusively to art inspired by nature in all forms, styles and media...
Trust and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is a leading British drama school in west London. LAMDA's president is Timothy West and its new principal is Joanna Read, who recently succeeded Peter James...
(LAMDA), the oldest drama school in the English speaking world and President of WWF-UK
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
. She has been the patron of the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children
Royal Alexandra Hospital, Brighton
The Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children is a children's hospital located within the grounds of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton in the English county of East Sussex...
in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
since 1954.
Controversy
Although described as "one of the most popular members of the royal family", Princess Alexandra and her family have come under media scrutiny at various points in her life. Her husband was a director at a mining company, Lonrho, when it was involved in a scandal over the breaking of trade sanctions against British-held RhodesiaRhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
. The Prime Minister at the time, Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
, criticised the company, and Ogilvy resigned his directorships.
Titles
- 25 December 1936 – 24 April 1963: Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Kent
- 24 April 1963 – 31 December 1989: Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Mrs Angus Ogilvy
- 31 December 1989 –: Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
- 26th August 2011 - Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Oxford
Styles
Her full style is Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.Honours
British Honours- LG: Royal Lady of the Order of the GarterOrder of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, 2003 - GCVO: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, 25 December 1960 - Royal Family Order of King George VIRoyal Family Order of King George VIThe Royal Family Order of King George VI was a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to King George VI....
- Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth IIRoyal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth IIThe Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II is a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to Queen Elizabeth II. It is not automatically awarded and there is no public announcement of the honour...
Commonwealth Realms Honours Canadian Forces Decoration
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
Honorary military appointments
Canada – Colonel-in-Chief, The Queen's Own Rifles of CanadaThe Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...
(1960–2010) – Colonel-in-Chief, The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) (11 June 1977 – present) http://www.canadianscottishregiment.ca/index.php?page_id=1024
United Kingdom Patron, Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service is the nursing branch of the British Royal Navy. The Service unit works alongside the Royal Navy Medical Branch....
(since 1955) Patron and Air Chief Commandant, of Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service is the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.It was established as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service in 1918, and became part of the permanent establishment as the Royal Air Force Nursing Service on 27 January 1921...
Royal Colonel, 3rd Battalion The Rifles
The Rifles
The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
Honorary Air Commodore, of RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
Royal Honorary Colonel, of The Royal Yeomanry
Royal Yeomanry
The Royal Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons and a military band:*A Squadron *B Squadron...
Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of The Queen's Royal Lancers
The Queen's Royal Lancers
The Queen's Royal Lancers is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1993 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:*16th/5th Queen's Royal Lancers*17th/21st Lancers...
Former Commonwealth British Crown Colony
Commandant General, Royal Hong Kong Police ForceHong Kong Police ForceThe Hong Kong Police Force is the largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. It is the world's second, and Asia's first, police agency to operate with a modern policing system. It was formed on 1 May 1844, with a strength of 32 officers...
.
Arms
Princess Alexandra's personal Coat of Arms was granted in 1961. Her Arms are the Royal Coat of Arms of the United KingdomRoyal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
, with a five point label—the standard differentiation for a male-line grandchild of a British Monarch. The first and fifth points bear a red heart, the second and fourth points bear a blue anchor, and the third point bears a red cross.
Ancestry
External links
- Royal.gov.uk- Princess Alexandra
- Royal Insight – Focus – December 2006 – Princess Alexandra's 70th birthday
- The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess
- National Archives of Australia- Princess Alexandra, with details of the 1959 and 1967 Royal visits
- Visit to the Falkland Islands
- Anchor Trust
in England and Wales
Order of precedence in England and Wales
The Order of precedence in England and Wales as of 11 May 2010:Names in italics indicate higher precedence elsewhere in the table or precedence in the table for the other sex.- Royal Family :* The Sovereign , regardless of gender...
and in Northern Ireland
Order of precedence in Northern Ireland
The order of precedence in Northern Ireland:-Gentlemen:#The Sovereign #The Duke of Edinburgh#Sons of the Sovereign##The Prince of Wales##The Duke of York##The Earl of Wessex#Grandsons of the Sovereign##The Duke of Cambridge...