Prince Michael Of Kent

Prince Michael of Kent, born Michael George Charles Franklin on July 4, 1942, is a member of the British royal family. As of 2025, he is 53rd in line to the British throne. He is the younger son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. His paternal grandparents were King George V and Queen Mary, making him a grandson of King George V. He is a nephew of Kings Edward VIII and George VI, and a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. His maternal grandparents were Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. Additionally, his mother was a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which makes Prince Michael both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to King Charles III.

Prince Michael was born at Coppins, Iver, Buckinghamshire. His baptism took place on August 4, 1942, in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle, with notable godparents including his paternal uncle King George VI, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, King Haakon VII of Norway, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and other members of European royalty and US leadership. His father was killed in a plane crash shortly after Michael’s birth, on August 25, 1942, in Scotland.

In his early life, Michael served as a page boy at the wedding of his cousins Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. He received education at Sunningdale School and Eton College. He is fluent in French, has a working knowledge of German and Italian, and is a qualified interpreter of Russian.

Prince Michael served in the British Army, initially commissioned into the 11th Hussars in 1963. Following the amalgamation of the 11th Hussars and the 10th Royal Hussars in 1969, he served in The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own). His military service included deployments in Germany, Hong Kong, and Cyprus, where he participated in United Nations peacekeeping in 1971. His military career lasted approximately twenty years, concluding with his retirement as a Major in 1981. He also holds honorary positions in the Royal Naval Reserve, RAF Benson, and the Honourable Artillery Company.

Although his role within the royal family entails performing official duties, Michael has generally not undertaken many royal engagements and has not received a parliamentary annuity or privy purse allowance, unlike some other royals such as his brother Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra. He has represented the Queen abroad at state funerals in India, Cyprus, and Swaziland, and at independence celebrations and royal events.

Prince Michael has numerous patronages and charitable interests, including the Kennel Club, Children's Burns Trust, Maritime Volunteer Service, and the Royal Automobile Club, among others. In 1987, he established the Prince Michael Road Safety Award, and in 2004, he founded the Prince Michael of Kent Foundation to support projects in Russia, including heritage and cultural restoration initiatives. He announced his retirement from public duties in June 2022 as he approached his 80th birthday.

In terms of personal life, Prince Michael married Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz on June 30, 1978, in Vienna. She was previously married and required papal dispensation for their Catholic wedding, which was granted by Pope John Paul II. The marriage was later blessed in a Catholic ceremony in London in 1983. Due to the Act of Settlement 1701, his marriage to a Catholic caused him to lose his place in the line of succession until the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 restored it in 2015. As of January 2025, he is 54th in line to the throne.

The couple has two children—Lord Frederick Windsor (born April 6, 1979) and Lady Gabriella Kingston (born April 23, 1981). Lord Frederick married Sophie Winkleman and has two daughters, Maud and Isabella. Lady Gabriella married Thomas Kingston; her husband died in 2024. Prince Michael was treated for prostate cancer in 2014.

Michael is actively involved in commercial enterprises, government, and charitable activities, and maintains interests in Russia, where he is a recipient of the Order of Friendship until 2022 and an honorary member of the Romanov Family Association. He is also a Freemason and holds various honorary military appointments and fellowships within professional organizations.