Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Encyclopedia
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, née Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was a member of the British Royal Family
; the wife of Prince George, Duke of Kent
, the fourth son of King George V of the United Kingdom
and Mary of Teck
.
Princess Marina was the last foreign-born princess
to marry into the British royal family.
Princess Marina was born in Athens
, Greece
, on 13 December 1906. Her father was Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
, the third son of George I of Greece
. Her mother was Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia
, a granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia
. One of her paternal uncles was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
, the father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
.
She was baptised near the end of 1906, and her godparents were: the King of Greece
(her paternal grandfather); the King of the United Kingdom
(her granduncle); the Princess of Wales
; Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
(her paternal uncle); Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia
(her maternal uncle); and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (her maternal aunt).
The family was generally poor and forced into exile when she was 11, following the overthrow of the Greek monarchy. They later moved to Paris, while the Princess stayed throughout Europe with her extended family.
, at Westminster Abbey
, London
. Her bridesmaids were her first cousins Princesses Irene, Eugenie and Katherine of Greece and Denmark, her maternal first cousin Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
, Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands
, her husband's niece Princess Elizabeth of York, and her husband's cousins the Lady Iris Mountbatten
and the Lady Mary Cambridge
.
Together the couple had three children:
The Duke of Kent was killed on 25 August 1942, in an aeroplane crash at Eagles Rock, near Dunbeath, Caithness
, Scotland
, while on active service with the Royal Air Force
. The Duchess, according to royal biographer Hugo Vickers, was "the only war widow in Britain whose estate was forced to pay
death duties".
. She was both first cousin and aunt (from 1947) to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
, via his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II.
In March 1957 when Ghana
—then a British colony—gained independence from Britain, the Duchess of Kent was appointed to represent the Queen at the celebrations. Fifty years later, at the 50th Anniversary of Ghana's Independence, it would be her son, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who would be appointed by the Queen to represent her.
In September 1966, when the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland became the new Republic of Botswana
, the Duchess of Kent was appointed again to represent the Queen at the celebrations. The main public hospital in Gaborone
, the new Botswana's capital, is named "Princess Marina Hospital".
She served as the first Chancellor of the University of Kent at Canterbury
from 1963 until her death from a brain tumour at Kensington Palace
on 27 August 1968, aged 61. She is buried in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore.
Just before the current Duke of Kent's wedding in June 1961 to Katharine Worsley, she announced that she wished to be known as HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent instead of HRH The Dowager Duchess of Kent, a change in traditional style that was granted by her niece, Queen Elizabeth II. Upon her marriage in 1934, Princess Marina had become HRH The Duchess of Kent, Countess of St. Andrews, and Baroness Downpatrick. However, she remained a Princess of Greece and Denmark. Following her elder son's wedding, she simply reverted to her own princely title.
Foreign Honours The Order of St. Olga and St. Sophia, 1st Class Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence Grand Cross of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru Grand Cross of the Order of Merit Grand Cross of the National Order of the Southern Cross
Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator San Martin
recorded "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina" for their 1969 album Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
).
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
; the wife of 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 King George V of the United Kingdom
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....
.
Princess Marina was the last foreign-born princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
to marry into the British royal family.
Early life
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, on 13 December 1906. Her father was 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...
, the third son of George I of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
. Her mother was 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...
, a granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
. One of her paternal uncles was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I of Greece and Olga Constantinovna of Russia. He was a grandson of Christian IX of Denmark.He began military training at an early age, and was...
, the father of Prince Philip, 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....
.
She was baptised near the end of 1906, and her godparents were: the King of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
(her paternal grandfather); the King of the United Kingdom
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
(her granduncle); the Princess of Wales
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....
; Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I of Greece and Olga Constantinovna of Russia. He was a grandson of Christian IX of Denmark.He began military training at an early age, and was...
(her paternal uncle); Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia
Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia
Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, a grandson of Czar Alexander II of Russia and a first cousin of Czar Nicholas II. He followed a military career and was a Major General in the Russian Army. He took part in the Russo-Japanese War and...
(her maternal uncle); and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (her maternal aunt).
The family was generally poor and forced into exile when she was 11, following the overthrow of the Greek monarchy. They later moved to Paris, while the Princess stayed throughout Europe with her extended family.
Marriage
On 29 November 1934 she married Prince George, Duke of KentPrince 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...
, 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,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Her bridesmaids were her first cousins Princesses Irene, Eugenie and Katherine of Greece and Denmark, her maternal first cousin Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia was the second daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna...
, Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
, her husband's niece Princess Elizabeth of York, and her husband's cousins the Lady Iris Mountbatten
Lady Iris Mountbatten
The Lady Iris Mountbatten was born in Kensington Palace, London on 13 January 1920, the only child of Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke, eldest of three sons and one daughter of The Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry of Battenberg...
and the Lady Mary Cambridge
Lady Mary Whitley
The Lady Mary Whitley , née Cambridge was a descendant of the British Royal Family...
.
Together the couple had three children:
- Prince Edward of KentPrince Edward, Duke of KentThe Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 29 July 1955 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, the beginning of a military career that would last over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961. The Duke of Kent saw service in Hong Kong from 1962–63...
, born 9 October 1935; Duke of KentDuke of KentDuke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of George V.-Pre-history:...
from 25 August 1942 - Princess Alexandra of KentPrincess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady OgilvyPrincess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
, born 25 December 1936 - Prince Michael of KentPrince Michael of KentPrince Michael of Kent is a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, making him a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He is also the first cousin once removed of Prince Phillip. Prince Michael occasionally carries out royal duties representing the Queen at some functions in Commonwealth realms outside...
, born 4 July 1942
The Duke of Kent was killed on 25 August 1942, in an aeroplane crash at Eagles Rock, near Dunbeath, Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, while on active service with 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...
. The Duchess, according to royal biographer Hugo Vickers, was "the only war widow in Britain whose estate was forced to pay
death duties".
Later life
After her husband's death, the Duchess of Kent continued to be an active member of the British Royal Family, carrying out a wide-range of royal and official engagements. She was the longtime president of the Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet ClubAll England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club , also known as the All-England Club, based at Aorangi Park, Wimbledon, London, England, is a private members club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass...
. She was both first cousin and aunt (from 1947) to Prince Philip, 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....
, via his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II.
In March 1957 when Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
—then a British colony—gained independence from Britain, the Duchess of Kent was appointed to represent the Queen at the celebrations. Fifty years later, at the 50th Anniversary of Ghana's Independence, it would be her son, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who would be appointed by the Queen to represent her.
In September 1966, when the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland became the new Republic of Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, the Duchess of Kent was appointed again to represent the Queen at the celebrations. The main public hospital in Gaborone
Gaborone
' is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 191,776 based on a 2006 survey, about 10% of the total population of Botswana....
, the new Botswana's capital, is named "Princess Marina Hospital".
She served as the first Chancellor of the University of Kent at Canterbury
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
from 1963 until her death from a brain tumour at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
on 27 August 1968, aged 61. She is buried in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore.
Titles and styles
- 13 December 1906 – 29 November 1934: Her Royal Highness Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
- 29 November 1934 – 8 June 1961: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent
- 8 June 1961 – 27 August 1968: Her Royal Highness Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Just before the current Duke of Kent's wedding in June 1961 to Katharine Worsley, she announced that she wished to be known as HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent instead of HRH The Dowager Duchess of Kent, a change in traditional style that was granted by her niece, Queen Elizabeth II. Upon her marriage in 1934, Princess Marina had become HRH The Duchess of Kent, Countess of St. Andrews, and Baroness Downpatrick. However, she remained a Princess of Greece and Denmark. Following her elder son's wedding, she simply reverted to her own princely title.
Honours
British Honours- CI: Companion of the Order of the Crown of IndiaOrder of the Crown of IndiaThe Imperial Order of the Crown of India is an order in the British honours system.The Order was established by Queen Victoria in 1878, when she became Empress of India. The Order is open only to women; no new appointments have been made after the Partition of India in 1947...
- 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...
- GBE: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
- GCStJ: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of JerusalemVenerable Order of Saint JohnThe Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
- Royal Family Order of King George VRoyal Family Order of King George VThe Royal Family Order of King George V 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 V.Queen Elizabeth II is the only surviving member of the Order....
- 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...
Foreign Honours The Order of St. Olga and St. Sophia, 1st Class Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence Grand Cross of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Order of the Aztec Eagle
The Order of the Aztec Eagle is a Mexican order and is the highest decoration awarded to foreigners in the country.It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to services given to Mexico or humankind by foreigners...
Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru Grand Cross of the Order of Merit Grand Cross of the National Order of the Southern Cross
Order of the Southern Cross
The National Order of the Southern Cross is a Brazilian order of chivalry founded by Emperor Pedro I on 1 December 1822. This order was intended to commemorate the independence of Brazil and the coronation of Pedro I...
Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator San Martin
Honorary military appointments
- Colonel-in-Chief, of The Kent RegimentThe Kent RegimentThe Kent Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. In 1954 it was amalgamated with The Essex Scottish Regiment to form The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment....
- Colonel-in-Chief, of The Queen's Own Royal West Kent RegimentThe Queen's Own Royal West Kent RegimentThe Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1961. It was formed as The Queen's Own as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 50th Regiment of Foot and the 97th Regiment of Foot...
- Colonel-in-Chief, of The Dorset Regiment
- Colonel-in-Chief, of The Essex and Kent Scottish RegimentThe Essex and Kent ScottishThe Essex and Kent Scottish is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.The regiment was formed in 1954 by the amalgamation of The Essex Scottish Regiment and The Kent Regiment....
- Colonel-in-Chief, of The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
- Colonel-in-Chief, of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- Colonel-in-Chief, of The Queen's RegimentThe Queen's RegimentThe Queen's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Division...
(Allied) - Honorary Colonel, of the Buckinghamshire Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- Honorary Colonel, of the 4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- Honorary Colonel, of the 431 LAA Regiment RA
- Honorary Colonel, of the 299th (Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry, Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars, and Berkshire) Field Regiment, RA
- Honorary Colonel, of the Buckinghamshire Regiment, RA (Territorials)
- Colonel, of the Queen's Own Buffs Honorary Commandant, of the Women's Royal Australian Naval ServiceWomen's Royal Australian Naval ServiceThe Service was established in April 1941 when the Royal Australian Navy enrolled 14 women at HMAS Harman, the wireless telegraphy station near Canberra. Two women were stewards, and 12 trained as telegraphists...
Popular culture
The KinksThe Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
recorded "She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina" for their 1969 album Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
Arthur is the seventh studio album by English rock band The Kinks, released in October 1969. Kinks frontman Ray Davies constructed the concept album as the soundtrack to a Granada Television play and developed the storyline with novelist Julian Mitchell; however, the television programme was...
).
Ancestry
See also
- List of notable brain tumour patients