Born fifth in line to the throne but when duty called, the Duke of Gloucester, 80 today, didn't hesitate...
The Prince who knows all about being a 'Spare' - but became the Royal Family's greatest rock By Rebecca English Published: 02:21, 26 August 2024 | Updated: 02:21, 26 August 2024 e-mail View comments He was the princely spare who married a beautiful foreigner without any aristocratic credentials. Eclipsed by his dashing elder brother, Prince William , he chose to pursue a career outside the constraints of royal life. But when tragedy struck, duty beckoned.
And unlike a rather more notorious second sibling of modern times, Prince Richard, later Duke of Gloucester, turned to embrace his destiny without complaint. Even today, as he turns 80, Queen Elizabeth’s cousin is one of the monarchy’s most hardworking members, undertaking close to 200 public engagements annually. Moreover, neither he, nor his elegant Danish wife, Birgitte – a lawyer’s daughter who worked as a ‘nine-to-five secretary’ before their marriage – has ever uttered a word in public about their lives at the heart of the Royal Family .
Eclipsed by his dashing elder brother, Prince William (right), the Duke chose to pursue a career outside the constraints of royal life At the Order Of The Garter Service At Windsor Castle. On either side of Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, is Prince William and his uncle, the now Duke of Edinburgh And yet what a story they could tell – for Prince .