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Full name: Richard Alexander Walter George

Born: Northampton, August 26 1944, the second son of the late Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. He is a grandson of George V and a first cousin to The Queen. His elder brother, Prince William of Gloucester, died in a flying accident in 1972.

Education: Initially at home, before school at Wellesley House, Broadstairs, and Eton. Studied architecture at Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Marriage and family: Married Birgitte Eva van Deurs, whom he had met at Cambridge, at St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, Northamptonshire, on 8 July 1972.

They have three children - Alexander, Earl of Ulster (b. 1974), Lady Davina Windsor (b. 1977) and Lady Rose Windsor (b. 1980). None of the children carry out official royal duties.

Official roles: Corporate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and President of the Society of the Architect-Artists; Commissioner of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage); Fellow of the Institute of Clerks of Works for Great Britain Incorporated, the Institution of Structural Engineers, the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

President of several architectural preservation societies; Patron of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, UK National Committee; Patron of ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), British Association of Friends of Museums, British-Mexican Society, Construction Industry Trust for Youth, Council for Education in World Citizenship, and Fenland Archaeological Trust.

Patron of Friends of Gloucester and Peterborough Cathedrals, Society of Engineers, Pestalozzi Children's Village Trust, Homeopathic Trust for Research and Education, Inner London Probation Service, Japan Society, League of Friends of Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, London Choral Society, Magdalene Australia Society, Normandy Veterans Association, New Islington and Hackney Housing Association and North East Civic Trust.

Patron of Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, Oriental Ceramic Society, Richard III Society, Royal Anthropological Institute, Severn Valley Railway and the Tramway Museum.

President of Britain-Nepal Society; Vice-President of British Leprosy Relief Association (LEPRA); President of the Cancer Research Campaign, Christ's Hospital, Institute of Advanced Motorists, London Society, National Association of Boys' Clubs, Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, Royal Smithfield Club and St Bartholomew's Hospital.

Carries out public duties such as acting as Counsellor of State; he is The Queen's Trustee of the British Museum; holds honorary military appointments with the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, the Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) and Royal Air Force Odiham; Grand Prior of the Order of St John.

President of the British Consultants Bureau; made a Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG) in 1997; Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in 1974; received the Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav from the King of Norway in 1973, and the Royal Order of the Northern Star from the King of Sweden in 1975; represents the Queen at official occasions.

Prince Richard started his travelling life at the age of four months when he was taken to Australia after his father was made Governor-General. He became heir to the title Duke of Gloucester when his elder brother William died in 1972, and inherited the title on the death of his father in 1974.

He had intended a full time career in architecture and had joined a London practice, but after his brother's death he resigned his partnership to devote more time to royal duties and to the family estate, Barnwell, in Northamptonshire.

The Duke carries out many public engagements each year, including a lot of work for his favourite issues, architecture and conservation. He has also produced three books of photographs: On Public View (1970) which illustrated London statues, The Face of London (1973) and Oxford and Cambridge (1980).

The Duke of Gloucester travels extensively overseas in support of his chosen organisations, and has represented the Queen at official occasions overseas.

Full name: Birgitte Eva

Born: June 20 1946, in Odense, Denmark, the younger daughter of the late Asger Preben Wissing Henriksen, a lawyer, and his former wife the late Mrs Vivian van Deurs.

Education: At schools in Odense, then finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland, before Cambridge University. Then took a three-year diploma course in Commercial and Economic Studies in Copenhagen, Denmark, before returning in 1971 to work at the Royal Danish Embassy in London.

Marriage and family: Married Prince Richard (now the Duke of Gloucester) on July 8 1972 at St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, Northamptonshire.

They have three children - Alexander, Earl of Ulster (b. 1974), Lady Davina Windsor (b. 1977) and Lady Rose Windsor (b. 1980). Their children do not carry out official royal duties.

Official roles: Patron of the National Asthma Campaign, St Peter's Research Trust (for Kidney, Bladder and Prostate Research), the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, Baby Life Support Systems (BLISS), Parkinson's Disease Society, the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Association, Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH), Bobath Centre (for cerebral palsy) and Bobath Cymru, and Medical Women's Federation.

Connections with other welfare or educational organisations including: National Missing Persons Helpline, RSAS AgeCare, Counsel and Care (Advice and Help for Older People), Papworth Trust and Enham Trust (for disabled people), Iris Fund (for prevention of blindness), Royal London Society for the Blind, Royal School for the Blind, SeeAbility, the General Welfare of the Blind, Notting Hill Housing Trust, Women's Royal Voluntary Service (London area), Women Caring Trust (for the children in Northern Ireland), Fleming Fulton school (for handicapped children in Northern Ireland), St John's School Leatherhead, Royal Alexandra and Albert School, Listening Books, Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre, Association for All Speech Impaired Children (AFASIC), the National Association for Gifted Children, London Suzuki Group and Friends of the Institut Français.

Patron or President of many other organisations including: The Royal Academy of Music, Scottish Opera, National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Society (NADFAS), the Royal School of Needlework, the Civil Service Sports Council and Queen's Club.

Commandant-in-Chief of St John Ambulance Brigade Wales, Patron of the Hospitallers' Club of Wales, Honorary Member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Wimbledon, Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Fellow of Queen Mary and Westfield College (University of London).

Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Adjutant General's Corps, Vice Patron of the Adjutant General's Corps Regimental Association, Patron of Royal Army Educational Corps Association and Patron of the Army Families Federation; Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Army Educational Corps and the Royal New Zealand Army Educational Corps.

Sponsor of two of Her Majesty's Ships, HMS Gloucester (a guided missile destroyer) and HMS Sandown (a minesweeper); travels regularly overseas both with the Duke of Gloucester and to work for her own charities and organisations; received the Family Order from The Queen in 1973; created Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in 1989; made a Dame of Justice of the Order of St John in 1974.

Life and times

Danish born, the Duchess of Gloucester became part of the British royal family after meeting Prince Richard at university.

She has since taken an active part in royal life and works extensively for the many organisations with which she is involved, especially in the fields of health and welfare, educationand the arts.

Her first official overseas visit was in 1973, when The Duke and Duchess represented The Queen at the 70th birthday celebrations of King Olav of Norway.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester now live at Kensington Palace.