George, Duke of Kent
From Kaiserreich
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Prince George, Duke of Kent (born George Edward Alexander Edmund on December 20 1902) is a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of King George V, and is currently in exile in Canada
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Early Life
George was born on December 20 1902 at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. His father was George, Prince of Wales, the eldest surviving son of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. His mother was the Princess of Wales, the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Teck. At the time of his birth, he was fifth in the line of succession. As a grandchild of the British monarch in a male line, he was styled His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales.
He was baptised in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on January 26 1903 by Francis Paget, Bishop of Oxford (with "ordinary" water, as opposed to water from the Jordan, usual for royal christenings). His godparents were his grandparents King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, his grand-uncle Prince Valdemar of Denmark, Prince Louis of Battenberg, and his grand-aunts The Dowager Empress of Russia and Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein.
George received his early education from a tutor and then followed his elder brother, Prince Henry, to St. Peter's Court Preparatory School at Broadstairs, in Kent. At age thirteen, like his brothers Prince Edward and Prince Albert before him, he went to naval college, first at Osborne and, later, at Dartmouth.
Exile
George remained in the Royal Navy until 1925 when the British Revolution broke out and the Royal Family had to flee to Canada. George kept a low profile in the Canadian public life, though his interest in the development of airpower has lead to his active engagement and elevation within the Royal Canadian Airforce. He has been instrumental in establishing an Inter-service Air Training Program in the Province of Alberta where pilots from all over the Empire, the Pacific, the Caribbean and even some from India are trained.
Duke of Kent
On October 12 1934, in anticipation of his forthcoming marriage to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, his second cousin, George was created Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews and Baron Downpatrick.
Personal Life
George married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark on November 29 1934. The bride was a daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and a great-niece of Queen Alexandra. Princess Marina became known as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent following the marriage. They had one son, Prince Edward of Kent, born on October 9 1935.
