2 min read
At 90 years old, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent is the oldest member of the British royal family. He isn’t letting his age, or mobility, prevent him from joining the royals on milestone occasions: He was spotted today at Trooping the Colour, the monarch’s annual birthday parade. As he walked out onto the balcony for the flypast, he pulled out his iPhone to snap some photos or videos from his point of view.
Prince Edward, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth, hasn’t missed Trooping the Colour since 1996, and was a regular attendee in the decades before that.
Aaron Chown – PA Images//Getty Images
The Duke of Kent stands alone on the far right in this photograph.
Aaron Chown – PA Images//Getty Images
L-R: Sir Tim Laurence, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Duchess of Gloucester.
While in recent years he has stood on the balcony and ridden in a car during the parade, the Duke of Kent used to ride on horseback during Trooping. He last rode in 2012, when he was 76 years old. Princess Anne, 75, is still riding in the parade.
Anwar Hussein//Getty Images
The Duke of Kent and Princess Anne, the Princess Royal as they attend the Trooping the Colour 2011.
In early May, King Charles and the Duke of Kent made a rare joint appearance at the service of dedication and commemoration for the Order of St. Michael and St. George.
KIN CHEUNG//Getty Images
The King and the Duke of Kent.
The Duke of Kent is a senior working member of the royal family, and has been since he retired from the British Army in 1976. He served in the armed forces for over two decades, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
Today marks his first Trooping the Colour since the death of his wife, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, this past September. The Duchess stepped back from royal duties in 2002, however, and rarely made appearances with the royals in the final years of her life; she did not attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, nor the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. Her last Trooping appearance was in 2013.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.