HRH The Prince & Princess Michael of Kent - Information, Royal Family

HRH The Prince & Princess Michael of Kent

Prince Michael of Kent

Full name: Michael George Charles Franklin

Born: Iver, Buckinghamshire, on July 4 1942, younger son of Prince George and Princess Marina. One of his godfathers was President Roosevelt and he is a cousin to both The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

Education: Sunningdale School, Eton College and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He qualified as a Russian interpreter, also speaks fluent French and has a working knowledge of German and Italian.

Marriage and family: Married Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, daughter of Baron von Reibnitz and the former Countess Marianne Szapary, in Vienna in 1978.

The couple have two children - Frederick (b. 1979), and Gabriella (b. 1981). Frederick won a scholarship to Eton and read classics at Magdalen College, Oxford. Gabriella is undertaking an internship with Sotheby's in Madrid.

The family live at Nether Lypiatt Manor, Gloucestershire, and at Kensington Palace.

Official roles: Honorary Commodore of the Royal Naval Reserve, and a member of the Honourable Artillery Company; Patron of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce; Honorary Doctor of the Plekhanov Economics Academy, Moscow; head of a number of British and Russian-based institutions and charities, such as the Friends of Russian Children and the Potential of Russia initiative.

Founder Patron of the Genesis Initiative, which encourages business enterprise; Commonwealth President of the Royal Life Saving Society; President of the Royal Automobile Club, the National Eye Research Centre and the World Health Network Foundation; Fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry, the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institute of Linguists.

President of the Kennel Club, the Motor Sports Association, Brooklands Museum Trust, the Popular Flying Association, and Thames Rowing Club; has represented the Queen at overseas functions; Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

Life and times

After leaving Sandhurst the Prince was commissioned into the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) in 1963 and served in Libya, Germany, Hong Kong and Cyprus, the latter as part of the UN peacekeeping force in 1971. Also served with the Defence Intelligence Staff in a career lasting 20 years.

Prince Michael's grandmother was Grand Duchess Helen of Russia, cousin of the last Tsar, and he maintains strong links with the country. He is also chairman of his own company but much of his time is spent working on behalf of charities and organisations in which he has a keen interest, such as the Soldiers Sailors and Air Force Association (SSAFA) Forces Help.

While the rest of the Royal family seem to share a passion for riding, Prince Michael's sporting talents lie in a less typically British arena - bobsleigh!

He represented Great Britain as a driver for many years and was reserve for the 1972 Olympic Games. Still with speed in mind, he was part of the team that broke the 1,000 mile record for cars over 5,000cc in a 1929 Bentley Special in April 1992 at Millbrook.

He also drove in competitive car rallies and flies both aeroplanes and helicopters. More sedate pastimes - although still daredevil by most standards - include scuba-diving, carriage-driving and squash.

Princess Michael has written two historical books and now lectures internationally at universities, museums and other organisations such as Sotheby's.