When it comes to princesses in the British
monarchy, besides the ones our channel has already introduced, such as Princess Diana
of Wales, Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh, and Duchess Sarah of York, there are some
lesser-known but still prominent princesses who frequently appear at major events.
They come from diverse backgrounds and possess different personalities, each
with their own unique life stories. Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, the Duke of Kent,
Edward, is the son of her fourth uncle and is 88 years old this year. He inherited the title
of Duke at the age of 7 and has been the Duke of Kent for 81 years now. Edward's wife, the Duchess
of Kent, Katharine, is two years older than him, and she is 90 years old this year. Katharine
was born into an aristocratic family in England; her father was a baron, and her mother was the
daughter of a baron. One of her ancestors is the famous Cromwell. Katharine received the education
of an aristocratic young lady from an early age, mainly studying English literature, French, and
music. She could also play the piano, organ, and violin. On the surface, Katharine and the Duke
of Kent, Edward, seemed to be a perfect match, but when it came to marriage, Edward's mother,
being a Greek and Danish princess, didn't approve of British aristocrats. They were only able
to marry because of Edward's insistence at the age of 25. The couple had a good relationship
after marriage, and they lived a very sweet life. However, the downside was that Edward had
to serve in the military, which often led to separation from Katharine. As an important
member of the royal family at the time, Katharine, who was quite introverted, had to quickly learn
to stand on her own. In addition to royal duties, Katharine gave birth to three children after
marriage, including Helen, who later became famous for her beauty. But in 1975, at the age
of 42, Katharine became pregnant again but had to terminate the pregnancy due to a rubella
infection. Two years later, at the age of 44, she experienced a major miscarriage. These two
pregnancy experiences caused great physical and mental harm to Katharine. Moreover, in the late
1970s, she suffered from some other illnesses, which left her in a low state. From this time on,
cracks began to appear in her relationship with Edward. Gradually, Katharine attended fewer and
fewer royal engagements, and Edward was often seen alone. There were rumors that Katharine wanted a
divorce, but Edward refused, and they spent their entire lives like this. In 1996, Katharine
became a music teacher at a primary school and later rented an apartment in London to teach
piano to children. In addition, she served as the chairperson of several children's music education
foundations. Katharine said that music gave her the courage to love life and hoped that with her
help, more children could overcome difficulties and immerse themselves in music learning. In 2002,
Katharine voluntarily relinquished the title "Her Royal Highness," which was considered a formal
withdrawal from royal duties to some extent. Although the Duke of Kent did not have his wife by
his side, he diligently performed his royal duties throughout his life and has not retired until
now. There is a nickname in the royal family that proves his diligence: Steady Eddy. In 2003,
Edward suffered a minor stroke, and Katharine, who had already separated from him, reportedly
softened her heart and moved back to Kensington Palace to live with him. Perhaps their romantic
love was gone, but familial love remained. The Duke of Kent, Edward, has a younger
brother, Prince Michael of Kent, who is 82 years old this year. Prince Michael's marriage
caused a bit of a stir in the British royal family at the time. His wife is from Germany,
originally named Marie-Christine von Reibnitz. Both of Marie-Christine's parents were
aristocrats, but her father was once a member of the Nazi party. Moreover, Marie-Christine had been
married before marrying Prince Michael, and she was also a Catholic, which hit every sore spot of
the British royal family precisely. Fortunately, Prince Michael was a nonessential collateral
branch of the family, and he was willing to renounce his right to the British throne for
Marie-Christine. The royal family also sought the Roman Catholic Church's declaration of nullity of
Marie-Christine's previous marriage. In this way, she was finally able to marry into the British
royal family smoothly. Prince Michael's mother, the Duchess of Kent, Marina, was said to be
very fond of him and left them many jewels. It is said that there are even two major tiaras, so
Marie-Christine has always dressed very splendidly after marriage. Coupled with her striking
beauty, she looked extremely glamorous. However, Marie-Christine's emotional intelligence seemed
to be inferior to her appearance; she often spoke without restraint, causing embarrassment to the
royal family. For example, she once publicly stated that the older generation of royals
was very boring, and the younger generation, such as Diana, had not received much education.
She also liked to boast about her noble lineage and luxurious lifestyle, and she had once made
headlines for racial discrimination. However, the most surprising thing about Marie-Christine
was not what she said but her open appearance with her rumored lover in Italy in 2006. The
other party was a young Russian billionaire, and they appeared together in Venice, holding
hands and boating with laughter and joy as if no one else were around. Prince Michael
seemed helpless with his wife, and there were also rumors that he had his mistress. In
any case, the couple did not divorce or become estranged and still appeared together. They have
a pair of children, among whom their daughter, Gabriella, received attention recently due
to her husband's sudden death. Prince Michael belongs to a collateral branch of the royal
family, does not receive royal allowances, and even needs to pay over £10,000 in
monthly rent to live in Kensington Palace, so the couple each seeks their source of income.
Prince Michael opened a consulting company, while Marie-Christine loves to write books and has
written several books related to the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II's other cousin, the Duke
of Gloucester, Richard, is 80 years old this year. Richard is the second son in the family
and has always been scholarly since childhood. He attended Eton College for his secondary education
and studied architecture at the University of Cambridge for his higher education. While studying
at Cambridge, Richard met his future wife, Birgitte. Birgitte is Danish and not of noble
descent. However, her father was a lawyer, and her mother came from a well-off middle-class family.
She attended a private school in Switzerland as a child and then studied economics at the University
of Copenhagen in Denmark. During her university years, Birgitte came to Cambridge for a study
tour and unexpectedly met her lifelong love there. However, shortly after meeting Richard,
Birgitte's study tour ended, and she had to return to Denmark to continue her studies, thus beginning
a long-distance relationship. After graduating from university, Birgitte was determined to
live in London and found a job as a secretary at the Danish embassy in London. In 1972, the two
decided to tie the knot. When they got married, the family's focus was still on Richard's
handsome brother, William, the future heir to the family. So Richard marrying a commoner did
not encounter much resistance and did not attract much attention. Only a few media outlets made
headlines like "Prince Marries Secretary" and reported it briefly. After marriage, Richard
originally intended to work as an architect. However, just six weeks later, there was a major
upheaval in the family. His brother William died in a plane crash, and two years later, his father
passed away. Richard then inherited his father's title and became the Duke of Gloucester. Together
with his wife, they became full-time members of the royal family. They had three children, and
their family life was very harmonious, without experiencing any major storms throughout their
lives. Richard remained consistently gentlemanly, while Birgitte seemed to exude more and more
elegance. They also had a variety of jewels in their family, which she could wear in various
styles. Their collection of various tiaras, necklaces, and bracelets seemed even more
extensive than those of Diana and Kate. In 2018, the couple celebrated their 50th golden
wedding anniversary at Kensington Palace. It's often said that a woman's appearance in
old age reflects her happiness. Now at 78, Birgitte appears with a graceful figure,
exquisite makeup, and a head full of silver hair, exuding extraordinary charm, a testament
to a lifetime of nourishment from life.
