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| @Cecil Beaton Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection |
Princess Alexandra gave birth to her first child, a son, on February 29, 1964. The birth occurred at the family home, Thatched House Lodge, Richmond Park, Surrey. This was the first of four royal births in 1964. The others were Prince Edward, Lady Helen Windsor, and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones.
On March 4th, Queen Elizabeth II, who was expecting her fourth child, drove to Richmond Park to visit Princess Alexandra and her infant son. Six days later, she gave birth to Prince Edward.
The former editor of Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage, Cyril Hankinson noted in the Sunday Times (March 1, 1964) that the birth announcement meant "that for the first time a princess has an untitled son."
The yet unnamed infant would be styled as Master Ogilvy.
This was not a correct statement. Princess Patricia of Connaught, who was styled as Lady Patricia Ramsay after her wedding to the Hon. Alexander Ramsay, younger son of the 13th Earl of Dalhousie, gave birth to a son, Alexander Ramsay, who did not have a title. He was Master Alexander Ramsay.
Princess Alexandra's husband, the Hon. Angus Ogilvy, was a younger of the 12th Earl of Airlie. They married at Westminister Abbey on April 23, 1963.
There was a "distinctly Scottish flavour" to the baby's name, James Robert Bruce, announced on March 24.
James Robert Bruce Ogilvy was baptized in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace on May 11, 1964. His godparents were the Queen, The Duchess of Kent (Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent stood proxy), Prince Michael of Kent (Duke of Gloucester stood proxy) the Right Hon. Sir Robert Menzies (the Earl of Airlie stood proxy), Lord Ogilvy, the Hon. Peregrine Fairfax and Hon. Lady Rowley).
The Duchess of Kent was unable to attend the baptism as she was recovering from the birth of her second child, Lady Helen, who was born on April 28th. The fourth royal baby was Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon's second child, born on May 1.
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| James and Julia Ogilvy June 3, 2022 St Paul's Cathedral @Marlene A Eilers Koenig |
How interesting that the Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies was Godfather.
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