Prince George Duke of Kent and WWII
In 2019 several remembrances for events and battles took place.
So, I decided to make on this blog a series about the royals and
their choices in WWII.
For one royal, Prince George, Duke of Kent was WWII even
more dramatic....
Born
George Edward Alexander Edmund was born on 20 December 1902 at
York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England.
His father was the Prince of Wales (later King George V), the only
surviving son of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
His mother was the Princess of Wales (later Queen Mary), the only
and eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of Teck.
At the time of his birth Prince George was fifth in the line of the
succession to the throne, behind his father and three older brothers
Edward, Albert and Henry.
On 26 January 1903, George was baptised in the Private Chapel at
Windsor Castle by Francis Paget, the Bishop of Oxford.
Education
Prince George had his early education from a tutor and then he
followed his elder brother, Prince Henry (later the Duke of
Gloucester) to St. Peter's Court, a preparatory school at
Broadstairs in Kent.
At the age of 13, he went to naval college, first at Osborne and
later at Dartmouth.
Freemasonry
Prince George was initiated into freemasonry on 12 April 1928
in Navy Lodge No 2612.
He was appointed senior grand warden of the United Grand
Lodge of England in 1933.
In 1939 he was elected grand master of the United Grand
Lodge of England.
Career
He was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 15 February 1926.
He remained on active service in the Royal Navy
until March 1929, serving on the HMS Iron Duke and later
HMS Nelson.
From January to April 1931, Prince George and his elder
brother the Prince of Wales travelled 18,000 on a tour to
South-America.
In Buenos Aires they opened a British Empire Exhibition.
They returned via Lisbon and Paris to Windsor Great Park.
On 23 June 1936, George was appointed a personal aide-de-
camp to his elder brother, the new King Edward VII. After
his abdication, Prince George was appointed a personal
aide-de-camp to George VI.
On 12 March 1937, he was commissioned as a Colonel in the
British Army in the equivalent rank of group captain in the
Royal Air Force (RAF). He was also appointed as
Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Fusilliers from the same date.
In October 1938, George was appointed governor-general of
Australia. On 11 September 1939, when the WWII broke out
the appointment was postponed.
On 8 June 1939, George was promoted to the ranks of rear
admiral (RA) in the Royal Navy, major general (MG) in the
British Army and air vice-marshal in the Royal Air Force
(RAF).
At the start of WWII, George returned to active military service
with the rank of Rear Admiral briefly serving in the
Intelligence Division of the Admiralty.
Love and Marriage
On 12 October 1934, Prince George was created the Duke of Kent,
Earl of St. Andrews and Baron Downpatrick.
On 29 November 1934 Prince George married Princess Marina of
Greece and Denmark at Westminster Abbey. The couple would
have 3 children together:
- Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (who would marry to Katharine
Worsley);
- Princess Alexandra of Kent (who would marry Agnus Ogilvy);
- Prince Michael of Kent (who would marry Baroness Marie Christine
von Reibnitz).
Before and during his marriage, Prince George had a string of
affairs from socialites to Hollywood celebrities.
Famous affairs with:
- Kiki Preston;
- Anthony Blunt;
- Indira Raje,
- José Uriburu.
At the RAF
Prince George had the idea that the future lay in aviation. It became
his passion and in 1929 the Prince earned his pilot's licence.
He was the first member of the royal family to cross the Atlantic
Ocean by air.
In March 1937, he was granted a commission in the Royal Air Force
as a group captain. He also was made the Honorary Air Commodore
of No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron Auxiliary Air Force (1938).
He was promoted to air vice-marshal in June 1939.
In 1939 he returned to active service as rear admiral in the Royal
Navy but in April 1940, he was transferred to the Royal Air Force.
On 28 July 1941, he assumed the rank of air commodore in the
Welfare Section of the RAF Inspector General's staff. In this
role he went on official visits to RAF bases to help boost wartime
morale.
Death
On 25 August 1942, Prince George and 14 others took off in a
RAF Short Sunderland flying boat from Invergordon to fly to
Iceland on non-operational duties. The aircraft crashed on
Eagle's Rock in Scotland. Only one survived the crash but
Prince George died.
His death in RAF service marked the first time in more than
450 years that a member of the royal family died on active
service.
He was buried in the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore directly
behind Queen Victoria's mausoleum. His eldest son, the 6-year-
old Prince Edward succeeded him as Duke of Kent.
Princess Marina, his wife had given birth to their third child,
Prince Michael only seven weeks before Prince George's death.
Sources: Wikipedia
So, I decided to make on this blog a series about the royals and
their choices in WWII.
For one royal, Prince George, Duke of Kent was WWII even
more dramatic....
Born
George Edward Alexander Edmund was born on 20 December 1902 at
York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England.
His father was the Prince of Wales (later King George V), the only
surviving son of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
His mother was the Princess of Wales (later Queen Mary), the only
and eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of Teck.
At the time of his birth Prince George was fifth in the line of the
succession to the throne, behind his father and three older brothers
Edward, Albert and Henry.
On 26 January 1903, George was baptised in the Private Chapel at
Windsor Castle by Francis Paget, the Bishop of Oxford.
Education
Prince George had his early education from a tutor and then he
followed his elder brother, Prince Henry (later the Duke of
Gloucester) to St. Peter's Court, a preparatory school at
Broadstairs in Kent.
At the age of 13, he went to naval college, first at Osborne and
later at Dartmouth.
Freemasonry
Prince George was initiated into freemasonry on 12 April 1928
in Navy Lodge No 2612.
He was appointed senior grand warden of the United Grand
Lodge of England in 1933.
In 1939 he was elected grand master of the United Grand
Lodge of England.
Career
He was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 15 February 1926.
He remained on active service in the Royal Navy
until March 1929, serving on the HMS Iron Duke and later
HMS Nelson.
From January to April 1931, Prince George and his elder
brother the Prince of Wales travelled 18,000 on a tour to
South-America.
In Buenos Aires they opened a British Empire Exhibition.
They returned via Lisbon and Paris to Windsor Great Park.
On 23 June 1936, George was appointed a personal aide-de-
camp to his elder brother, the new King Edward VII. After
his abdication, Prince George was appointed a personal
aide-de-camp to George VI.
On 12 March 1937, he was commissioned as a Colonel in the
British Army in the equivalent rank of group captain in the
Royal Air Force (RAF). He was also appointed as
Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Fusilliers from the same date.
In October 1938, George was appointed governor-general of
Australia. On 11 September 1939, when the WWII broke out
the appointment was postponed.
On 8 June 1939, George was promoted to the ranks of rear
admiral (RA) in the Royal Navy, major general (MG) in the
British Army and air vice-marshal in the Royal Air Force
(RAF).
At the start of WWII, George returned to active military service
with the rank of Rear Admiral briefly serving in the
Intelligence Division of the Admiralty.
Love and Marriage
On 12 October 1934, Prince George was created the Duke of Kent,
Earl of St. Andrews and Baron Downpatrick.
On 29 November 1934 Prince George married Princess Marina of
Greece and Denmark at Westminster Abbey. The couple would
have 3 children together:
- Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (who would marry to Katharine
Worsley);
- Princess Alexandra of Kent (who would marry Agnus Ogilvy);
- Prince Michael of Kent (who would marry Baroness Marie Christine
von Reibnitz).
Before and during his marriage, Prince George had a string of
affairs from socialites to Hollywood celebrities.
Famous affairs with:
- Kiki Preston;
- Anthony Blunt;
- Indira Raje,
- José Uriburu.
At the RAF
Prince George had the idea that the future lay in aviation. It became
his passion and in 1929 the Prince earned his pilot's licence.
He was the first member of the royal family to cross the Atlantic
Ocean by air.
In March 1937, he was granted a commission in the Royal Air Force
as a group captain. He also was made the Honorary Air Commodore
of No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron Auxiliary Air Force (1938).
He was promoted to air vice-marshal in June 1939.
In 1939 he returned to active service as rear admiral in the Royal
Navy but in April 1940, he was transferred to the Royal Air Force.
On 28 July 1941, he assumed the rank of air commodore in the
Welfare Section of the RAF Inspector General's staff. In this
role he went on official visits to RAF bases to help boost wartime
morale.
Death
On 25 August 1942, Prince George and 14 others took off in a
RAF Short Sunderland flying boat from Invergordon to fly to
Iceland on non-operational duties. The aircraft crashed on
Eagle's Rock in Scotland. Only one survived the crash but
Prince George died.
His death in RAF service marked the first time in more than
450 years that a member of the royal family died on active
service.
He was buried in the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore directly
behind Queen Victoria's mausoleum. His eldest son, the 6-year-
old Prince Edward succeeded him as Duke of Kent.
Princess Marina, his wife had given birth to their third child,
Prince Michael only seven weeks before Prince George's death.
Sources: Wikipedia
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