Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Princess Michael of Kent celebrates 80th birthday

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Princess Michael of Kent celebrated her 80th birthday today.  The Princess is the wife of Prince Michael of Kent.  They married in a civil ceremony in Vienna on June 30, 1978, one month after the annulment of her first marriage to Thomas Troubridge.

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On October 29, 1978, Prince and Princess Michael's marriage was blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Donald Coggan.  The Service of Blessing took place at Lambeth Palace.  







all seven photos Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection



Five years later, on July 29, 1983, the couple was married in a Roman Catholic service at Archbishop House in London.  Pope John Paul II finally agreed to "sanctify her marriage to an Anglican who refused to bring up future children as Catholics."

The couple have two children: Lord Frederick Michael George David Louis Windsor (April 6,1979 ) and Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia (April 23, 1981).  Lord Frederick, an Executive Director with JP Morgan Chase, is married to actress Sophie Winkleman.  They have two daughters, Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina (2013) and Isabella Alexandra May (2016),  Lady Gabriella's husband, Thomas Kingston committed suicide in February 2024. 


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In a recent interview with Majesty Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Princess Michael talked about her husband.  He is "so special.  He was the second son, but he felt he had to do his part. He had to pull his weight, which he did for many years.  Then came the time he had to retire from his charities, as he couldn't afford to run the kind of office required to service those charities.  So he officially retired, but he didn't retire from giving his energy where he could."









all seven photos Marlene A Eilers Koenig



Baroness Marie-Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz is the only daughter of Baron Günther Hubertus von Reibnitz and Countess Maria Anna Carolina Franziska Walpurga Bernadette Szapáry von Muraszombath, Széchysziget and Szapár.  She was born on January 15, 1945, in Karlsbad, Germany, now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.

Prince and Princess Michael share a common descent from Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel (1572-1632).

In 1992,  I attended the National Symphony Ball (NSO), where I photographed Prince and Princess Michael.   

all the NSO photos @Marlene A Eilers Koenig








I believe the Princess is talking with the late Maestro NSO Conductor Mstislav Rostropovich,

Prince and Princess Michael live in a large apartment in Kensington Palace, where she spoke with Ingrid Seward in November.

"Right now, I would rather live in my bubble of books, gardens and friendships.  I think I have reached an age when I don't want to fight any more for the causes I used to fight for.  I still have my charities, but I don't have the energy.   I like to know what is going on in those worlds, but I realise there is only so much you can do, and I hope I have made a difference."

Princess Michael's website has not been updated in several years.

and also Prince Michael's official website.


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