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Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester

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Birgitte
Duchess of Gloucester (more)
The Duchess of Gloucester in her late sixties
The Duchess of Gloucester in 2015
BornBirgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen
(1946-06-20) 20 June 1946 (age 78)
Odense, Denmark
Spouse
(m. 1972)
Issue
HouseWindsor (by marriage)
FatherAsger Henriksen
MotherVivian van Deurs
ReligionChurch of England


Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, GCVO DStJ CD (born Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen; 20 June 1946) is a Danish member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a grandson of George V. They have three children.

Marriage and family

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The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

Birgitte first met Prince Richard of Gloucester, the younger son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, in the late 1960s in Cambridge, where he attended university. In February 1972, their engagement was announced.[1] They married on 8 July 1972 at St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, Northamptonshire.[1]

Six weeks after their wedding, Prince Richard's elder brother, Prince William of Gloucester, was killed in a flying accident. Prince Richard unexpectedly became heir apparent to the dukedom and upon his father's death in 1974, the couple became the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.[1]

The couple have three children: Alexander (born 1974), Davina (born 1977), and Rose (born 1980). They were born at St Mary's Hospital, London.[1] The Duke and Duchess officially reside at Kensington Palace.[2]

20 June 1946-15 January 1966 Miss Birgitte Eva Henriksen

15 January 1966-8 June 1972 Miss Birgitte Eva van Deurs

8 July 1972-10 June 1974 Her Royal Highness Princess Richard of Gloucester

10 June 1974 Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester

In Scotland: Her Royal Highness The Countess of Ulster

In Northern Ireland: Baroness Culloden


References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "The Duchess of Gloucester". The Royal Family. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  2. Hampson, Laura (8 December 2017). "Meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new neighbours - the royals who live in Kensington Palace". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 12 December 2017.

Other websites

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Order of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Zara Tindall
Ladies
HRH The Duchess of Gloucester
Succeeded by
The Duchess of Kent