Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are stepping down from public life, according to reports.
The retirement of the Queen’s first cousin and his wife comes just months after the prince severed his ties with Russia.
Prince Michael, who turns 80 next month, and his wife, Marie-Christine, 77, are expected to step down from public life in the coming days, according to The Daily Telegraph.
It is understood the retirement will coincide with the prince’s birthday on July 4.
Prince Michael, a fluent Russian speaker with a lineage to Tsar Nicholas II, was forced to sever his ties to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he gave back an Order of Friendship award, one of Russia’s top honours, and his role as patron of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce.
In 2021, Channel 4 reported that the prince was willing to use his royal status for personal profit and to provide access to President Putin’s regime.
He was filmed at a meeting in which undercover reporters were told he could be hired to make representations to the Kremlin. The prince denied the claims.
According to the official Royal Family website, Prince Michael is classified as a “non-working royal” and partakes in more than 200 public engagements for the not-for-profit sector, which are funded by his own household, rather than the taxpayer.
Princess Michael, who has been nicknamed “Princess Pushy” in some royal circles, is “actively involved in around 45 different charities and organisations”, according to the website, “including animal and wildlife trusts and health and welfare charities”.
The prince and his wife Marie-Christine share two children - Lord Frederick Windsor, 43, and Lady Gabriella Kingston, 41.
Representatives for the prince and his wife have been contacted for comment.
