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Daily Record
Entertainment
Kirsten McStay & Jennifer Newton

Meet the unknown royals in Coronation photo - from 'invisible' husband to oldest duke

Members of the Royal Family joined King Charles and Queen Camilla for their official Coronation photos to mark the historic moment.

In one group photo, many royal family fans will have been familiar with those by the sides of the King and Queen such as the Prince and Princess of Wales William and Kate, Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne.

However, some others who featured in the snap aren't as familiar, despite most of them working tirelessly for the monarchy for many decades. We take a look at the little-known royals in the official Coronation picture - and how they support the King...

Duke of Kent

The Duke of Kent with the late Queen at Trooping the Colour 2022 (PA)

The Duke of Kent is the oldest member of the Royal Family, the 87-year-old is a cousin of the late Queen and continues to carry out duties on behalf of the monarch. His father died in an RAF plane crash in Caithness, Scotland, during World War Two on August 25, 1942, writes The Mirror.

After his death, he inherited his father's titles of Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews and Baron Downpatrick and after leaving school had a distinguished military career. The Duke married Katharine Worsley, the now Duchess of Kent, in 1961 and they have three children and 10 grandchildren - among them Lady Amelia Windsor.

The Duke has dedicated his life to royal duties and started attending official engagements when he was just 16. One of his most famous associations is with the Freemasons. He was initiated into the secretive organisation in 1963 and has risen through the ranks ever since. In 1967, he was made the Grand Master and marked his 50th anniversary as a Freemason in 2013.

Duke of Gloucester

The Duke of Gloucester, centre, alongside his wife the Duchess of Gloucester and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh (PA)

The Duke of Gloucester is another cousin of the late Queen and one of the little-known full-time working royals. The 78-year-old, whose first name is Richard, did not plan to take on royal duties and actually studied at Cambridge before embarking on a successful career as an architect.

He had an older brother, Prince William, who was set to inherit the Duke of Gloucester title, but he sadly died in 1972 following a flying accident. Two years late, Richard became the Duke of Gloucester and gave up his career to dedicate himself to royal duties. Last year, he even conducted more engagements than the Princess of Wales with a total of 100 throughout 2022.

Duchess of Gloucester

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year (PA)

The wife of the Duke of Gloucester, Birgitte gained her title when she married in 1972. She is originally from Denmark and the 76-year-old met her husband while studying. They share three children, a son Alexander and two daughters, Davina and Rose.

She joins her husband on many royal engagements and also carries out some of her own. In total, she carried out 94 engagements last year. She has an association with more than 60 organisations that include the Children's Society, Parkinson's UK, the Lawn Tennis Association and the Royal Academy of Music.

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence

Anne alongside her husband Sir Timothy Laurence (PA)

The husband of Princess Anne, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence is the only non-working royal in the Coronation portrait. Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence does not carry out any engagements on behalf of the monarchy but is often "invisible" support for his wife with her busy schedule.

He has been married to Anne for over 30 years and is often at her side on engagements, quietly supporting her. But despite his low-profile nature, it seems Sir Tim holds a special place in the royal family, with the late Queen seemingly fond of him.

Although he didn't receive a royal title upon marriage, he has since been made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and was also a personal aide-de-camp to Elizabeth II.

Princess Alexandra

Princess Alexandra alongside the Queen at Royal Ascot in 2018 (Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse)

Another one of the late Queen's cousins featured in the Coronation portrait and that's Princess Alexandra. A sister of the Duke of Kent, she became the first British princess to be educated at a boarding school, and later studied in Paris before doing nursing training at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Princess Alexandra was a close friend and confidant of the late Queen and was even a bridesmaid at her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947. She married British businessman, Angus Ogilvy, in 1963 at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony was broadcast worldwide and was witnessed by 200 million people. Among Alexandra's bridesmaids was the Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne.

Alexandra and Angus shared two children, James, born in 1964, and Marina, born in 1966, though neither carry royal titles. In 2004 her husband died after a battle with throat cancer. The Royal Family's website still lists Alexandra as a working member of the Royal Family.

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