he Queen shared a series of touching images to mark one of her cousin’s birthdays on Thursday.
The royal family’s Twitter account posted four photos of the Duke of Gloucester in celebration of his 77th birthday.
The first image was a close-up of Prince Richard, looking smart in a suit and tie, while a second showed him with his wife, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, enjoying a walk.
A third snap was taken of the Duke at a Buckingham Palace garden party, while a fourth shows his visit to Okehampton Camp, Dartmoor during the 6th Battalion, The Rifles’ Annual Deployment Exercise in 2017.
The caption read: “Wishing His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester a happy birthday today [balloon emoji].”
Prince Richard, born on 26 August 1977, is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, making him a paternal first cousin of the Queen.
He married Danish-born Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen in July 1972. The couple has three children, Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster, Lady Davina Windsor and
Lady Rose Gilman.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are full-time working members of the royal family and carry out public duties.
The couple moved out of Apartment 1 and downsized to a smaller residence, the Old Stables, within the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2019.
Earlier this month, Prince Richard and Birgitte attended the Founder’s Day parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where the Duke was this year’s Reviewing Officer.
The annual event celebrates the founding of the hospital in 1692 by King Charles II. It was the first in-person event since 2019, having been twice postponed due to the pandemic.
