Birgitte van Deurs
| Birgitte | |
|---|---|
| Duchess of Gloucester (more) | |
The Duchess in 2015
|
|
| Born | Birgitte Eva Henriksen 20 June 1946 Odense, Denmark |
| Spouse | Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (m. 1972) |
| Issue |
Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster Lady Davina Lewis Lady Rose Gilman |
| House | Windsor (by marriage) |
| Father | Asger Preben Wissing Henriksen |
| Mother | Vivian van Deurs |
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, GCVO (born Birgitte Eva Henriksen on 20 June 1946; later van Deurs), is the wife of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
Birgitte was born Birgitte Eva Henriksen, in Odense, Denmark, the younger daughter of Asger Preben Wissing Henriksen, a lawyer, and his wife, Vivian van Deurs. She was educated in Odense and at finishing schools in Lausanne and Cambridge.
She took her mother's ancestral name van Deurs on 15 January 1966, when her parents separated. After studying for three years in Copenhagen, she moved back to England in 1971 to work at the Danish Embassy in London.
Birgitte first met Prince Richard of Gloucester, the younger son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, in the late 1960s in Cambridge. In February 1972, they became engaged. The groom designed her coral and silver engagement ring. They married on 8 July 1972 at St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, Northamptonshire. The bride's wedding dress was designed by Norman Hartnell. Six weeks after their wedding, Prince Richard's elder brother, Prince William, was killed in a flying accident. Prince Richard unexpectedly became heir apparent to the dukedom and upon his father's death in 1974, the couple became the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The couple have three children: Alexander (born 1974), Davina (born 1977), and Rose (born 1980).
...
Wikipedia