King Charles II has sent a special wish to The Duke of Kent as he marks his 90th milestone birthday today.
The official Instagram account of the Royal Family shared a photo the Duke in a navy-blue suit, with a heartfelt message from the King, that read, “Happy birthday to The Duke of Kent!”
The Duke of Kent, whose full name is Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick, often earns immense praise for his representation the firm on various public facing engagement across the UK even at this age.
Here are rare facts about the senior most Royal you need to know on his special milestone
He earned Duke’s title at six
Edward, who was born in 1935 received the title of The Duke of Kent in 1942, when he was only 6-year-old.
He was the youngest child in Royal history to receive that honour after the death of his father, Prince George, who died in a wartime aircraft accident.
Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin
The Duke of Kent is the first cousin of King Charles’ late mother Queen Elizabeth II, despite being nine years younger than her.
His father was the younger brother of late Queen’s father, King George VI.
The Duke of Kent link with Wimbledon
For over 50 years, The Duke has been the president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a position he took in 1969.
Edward kept representing trophies to Wimbledon champions till he stepped down from the presidency in 2021.
Now King Charles’ daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton serves as the Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), which organizes Wimbledon.
Served in British army for more than two-decades
The Duke of Kent began his training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1955, and later joined the Royal Scots Greys.
Edward served as military personnel in the British army for 21 years, before retiring in 1976.
His service years also include a posting in Cyprus with a United Nations force. He was honoured with the title of Field Marshal in 1993.
About The Duke of Kent's only marriage and kids
King Charles' uncle tied the knot to Katharine Worsley on June 8, 1961, at York Minster, with whom he shares three children, George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
Prince Edward's marriage with Katharine lasted more than sixty years until her death in September 2025.
Education at Eton and Swiss boarding school
The Duke of Kent after completing his education at Ludgrove and Eton in England, moved to Le Rosey in Switzerland.
After completing his boarding at Le Rosey, the duke retured for a military training at Sandhurst.
Awards in recognition of his rare skills
The Duke of Kent's command on foreign languages were a distinctive achievement alongside his military studies.
During his training at Sandhurst, the 90-year-old Royal bagged the Sir James Moncrieff Grierson prize for foreign languages and became the interpreter of French.
The Duke of Kent's role at cousin Queen Elizabeth II's biggest milestone
Edward played a vital role at Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.
Paying homage to his cousin, the duke pledged his loyalty to the longest reigning monarch of England.
The Duke of Kent's association with 140 organisations
Edward has been the patron of several organisations including the Scout Association and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, covering tech industry, charities, professional institutes and remembrance initiatives.
Prominent role in Britain - Germany reconciliation after WWII
The Duke is known for commemorative and reconciliation efforts after the Second World War.
He highlighted the efforts to recognise the human cost of war and strengthen understanding between former adversarie s during his attendance at the Dresden Peace Prize ceremony.
