HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy, is the only daughter of the Duke of Kent George and a cousin of the reigning Queen Elizabeth II. Looking at this venerable lady with transparent porcelain skin and a slight blush on her cheeks, it becomes clear how one of the first beauties in Britain managed to drive dozens of men crazy in her youth. After all, today it still looks very representative.
early years
The biography of Princess Alexandra began on December 25, 1936. At that time, the throne belonged to her grandfather, King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II. On the day of her birth, the king's granddaughter was 6th in line to the British throne, today she was ousted by other heirs, and she occupies 49th place. The girl was born into the family of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and her husband George, Duke of Kent, the last son of King George V. Michael of Kent, grandson of George V, is her cousin, and the current queen is a cousin. The baby was baptized in the chapel of Buckingham Palace, many noble people were present at the celebration, and relatives, among whom was a grandmother, the Norwegian queen, became godparents.
The full name of the royal person is Alexandra Elena Elizabeth Olga Christabel of Kent. The princess was named in memory of the eminent namesake, great-grandmother Alexander of Denmark, whose pedigree goes back to the Romanov family. She received other names in honor of her grandmother, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, her two aunts Elizabeth and Olga. Another name was given to the princess as a sign that she was born on Christmas Day. The British consider this holiday to be the greatest celebration. Like many years ago, it is celebrated in a narrow family circle, and during the Christmas dinner, the Queen herself speaks.
The princess spent her childhood in Great Britain. In August 1942, when Alexandra was not 6 years old, her father died in a plane crash. During World War II, the girl was looked after by her grandmother, Queen Mary. Alexandra became the first British princess to be educated at Heathfield School. In 1947, the young lady first appeared before the public, as she received an invitation to become a girlfriend at the wedding of Elizabeth and Philip, the future Queen of England and Duke of Edinburgh.
In her youth, before marriage, Alexandra wore a tiara, the basis of which was a floral bando. The decoration, consisting of flower stars, was surrounded by diamond ribbons and bows. The flower cores were removable and could be changed. Pearls and turquoise were the most popular. Today the royals prefer hats, the variety and originality of which are legendary.
Royal duties
Since the 50s, the princess has always had a lot of work to do. Every year she had to do business 110-120 days a year. In 1959, Alexandra went to Australia for the first time as a representative of the royal family. A year after Nigeria gained independence, it flew to the African continent. After that, the princess represented the royal family in Canada, Thailand, Norway, Italy, Gibraltar and other countries.
Alexandra is considered an honorary member by a number of medical institutions in the UK and beyond. For decades, the royal has patronized the English National Opera, the capital's Academy of Arts and Music, and the London Philharmonic Choir. In addition, she deals with the problems of the national wildlife fund, which she has headed for many years.
Personal life
Today Alexandra is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy, one of the sons of Earl Airlie. Their family union lasted 41 years. Back in 1963, the magnificent wedding of the heiress to the throne and a businessman was broadcast on many television channels around the world, and was seen by almost 200 million people. The entire royal family took part in the celebration. On the eve of the ceremony, the groom presented her with a gift - the Ogilvy tiara. James Bruce ordered it specifically for his future wife from a leading British jeweler. It includes original stones - pearls and diamonds, which the princess sometimes replaces with turquoise or sapphires. A necklace and earrings were attached to the tiara.
The happy family life of the spouses culminated in the appearance of two children. In 1964, the couple had a son, James, and two years later, a daughter, Marina Victoria Alexandra. The children gave Princess Alexandra and Sir Angus four grandchildren.
How does he live today
Until the end of 2012, the famous royalty attended dozens of events every year. However, in recent years, Princess Alexandra has significantly reduced her royal duties. The reason for this is not only old age, but also the severe form of arthritis that she suffers from. Due to poor health, the princess did not take part in the celebration of the diamond anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II. Most of her public appearances are now associated with celebrations and charity events. Nevertheless, today the princess's career as a working member of the royal family continues, as evidenced by the official website of the British Monarchy.
Princess and roses
Few know that Princess Alexandra is a distinguished practicing gardener and a great lover of roses. In her honor, one of the varieties of this fragrant plant was named "Alexandra Kent." This rose was bred just over a decade ago. But she has already received several awards from Glasgow and California. The splendid scent combines the scent of a tea rose with hints of lemon and black currant. The bush has dense, double flowers of an extraordinary pink hue, warm and flowing. Each flower has a slight pearlescent sheen and has over 130 petals. Small ones, collected in the center, have a more saturated color than those that are at the edges. From this it seems as if the rose is glowing.
