Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935), is a member of the British royal family.

The elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of King George V, nephew of Kings Edward VIII and George VI, and first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Edward's mother was also a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Elizabeth's husband, making him both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to King Charles III. He is 42nd in the line of succession to the British throne. Following the death of his wife, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, in September 2025, Edward became the oldest living member of the British royal family. 

Edward has held the title of Duke of Kent for over 83 years. He inherited the title at the age of six in 1942, following his father's death in a plane crash. Edward carried out engagements on behalf of Elizabeth II and is involved with over 140 charitable organisations. He was president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, presenting the trophies to the Wimbledon champion and runner-up, and served as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, retiring in 2001. He is joint president of The Scout Association, and president of the Royal United Services Institute and the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and since 1967 Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. The Duke of Kent has been Chancellor of the University of Surrey since June 1976. Much of his charity work revolves around war remembrance, technology, and the growth of British industry.

Early life and education

Edward was born on 9 October 1935, at No. 3 Belgrave Square, London, to Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. Home Secretary Sir John Simon was present to verify the birth. His father was the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary. His mother was the daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. He was baptised in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace on 20 November 1935 by Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Lang. His godparents were his grandparents, King George V, Queen Mary and Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark; as well as the Prince of Wales; the Princess Royal, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (whose son, Prince Arthur of Connaught, stood proxy); and the Duchess of Argyll.

Edward began his education at Ludgrove, a preparatory school in Berkshire, before going on to Eton College and then Le Rosey in Switzerland. After school he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he won the Sir James Moncrieff Grierson prize for foreign languages. Edward speaks fluent French, having been raised in a house where, according to the words of his younger brother, Prince Michael of Kent, his mother and aunts spoke French as a matter of preference.

On 25 August 1942, Edward's father, the Duke of Kent, was killed when his plane crashed in bad weather in Caithness. Edward, at six years old, succeeded his father as Duke of Kent, Earl of St Andrews and Baron Downpatrick. As a member of the royal family, Edward began performing engagements at an early age. In 1952, at the age of 16, he walked behind the coffin of his uncle, George VI, at his state funeral. In 1953, he attended the coronation of his cousin, Elizabeth II, and was the third to pay homage at her throne, following the dukes of Edinburgh and Gloucester.

Marriage and personal life

At York Minster on 8 June 1961 the Duke married Katharine Worsley, the only daughter of Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet, by his wife Joyce Morgan Brunner. She converted to Catholicism in 1994, but because the conversion occurred during and not before their marriage, it did not cause the Duke to lose his place in the line of succession, as the Act of Settlement 1701 only applied where the spouse was a Catholic at the time of marriage. The disqualification by marrying a Catholic was removed by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013.

The couple have three living children:

• George, Earl of St Andrews, born 26 June 1962 at Coppins; married Sylvana Tomaselli
• Lady Helen Taylor, born 28 April 1964 at Coppins; married Timothy Taylor
• Lord Nicholas Windsor, born 25 July 1970 at King's College Hospital in London; married, 2006, Paola Doimi de Lupis de Frankopan

Katharine had a miscarriage in 1975 owing to rubella and gave birth to a stillborn son, Patrick, in 1977.

The Duke resides at Wren House, Kensington Palace, in London. From 1972 to 1990, he and the Duchess—who died in 2025—leased Anmer Hall.

In 2011, close associates of Jonathan Rees, a private investigator connected to the News International phone hacking scandal, alleged that he had accessed the bank accounts of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

The Duke had a mild stroke on the morning of 18 March 2013. In April 2015, he suffered from a hip injury and was hospitalised at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for further treatments.

His wife, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, died on 4 September 2025 at the age of 92. Following her death, the duke became the oldest living member of the British royal family.