Sunday 15 March 2009

Princess Style




HRH Princess Alexandra photographed by Norman Parkinson © Norman Parkinson Limited/Corbis




The life of Princess Diana overshadowed some of the lesser known royal princesses. If you thought she was beautiful, you should see images of HM The Queen's younger sister, HRH Princess Margaret as a young woman. I will feature her next but meanwhile HRH Princess Alexandra is a beacon of discreet style, elegance and charm. She is the granddaughter of King George V and Queen Mary, born on Christmas Day 1936. Her mother was Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, who was incredibly beautiful, and her father was Prince George, The Duke of Kent. Serving in the Royal Air Force, he was killed in an aeroplane crash when Alexandra was six. Princess Alexandra of Kent married the second son of the Earl of Airlie, the Hon. Angus Ogilvy in 1963.


Family group with Princess Marina and her brothers Prince Michael of Kent and The Duke of Kent © Corbis



Aged 17 at her family home Coppins, Buckinghamshire. Queen Magazine April 1963



With Princess Marina at the Duke of Kent's wedding 1961 Queen Magazine April 1963




A portrait by Cecil Beaton © www.allposters.com



Marriage to the Hon Angus Ogilvy 1963 courtesy www.royal.gov.uk



Leaving the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria for the independence celebrations.
Queen Magazine April 1963




A visit to Lancaster University 1968 courtesy www.lancs.ac.uk




A portrait by Norman Parkinson in 18th C dress © Norman Parkinson Limited/Corbis




Growing older gracefully courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonlucas

8 comments:

  1. Love the Cecil Beaton photograph, it looks as if we've stumbled in the middle of a private thought

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  2. She is undoubtedly one of the most elegant ladies of her generation. And her son, whom I have met, one of the most handsome of his.

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  3. I have just been away to check out her son. I see what you mean!

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  4. Rose she is truly a beauty- possibly one of 10? GT

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  5. So beautiful as is the rest of her family. Her children and her grand-children all look a little like her I think.

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  6. Thank you Anonymous. I think a lot of people these days aren't aware of her. They only know the royals that get in the newspapers! I have been lucky enough to meet Prince Michael of Kent and found him absolutely charming and modest. I was able to tell him how beautiful I thought Princess Marina was and he seemed genuinely pleased.

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  7. She *really* is the image of her mother, isn't she? The Kent children lucked out--BOTH their parents were gorgeous. Prince George was an absolute *hunk.*

    She is also the mother of Marina Ogilvy, correct?

    FYI, re: the picture of her playing tennis--if she was born in 1936, either the date of the picture is off or her age is off, since in 1963 she would be 27.

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  8. Thank you for that Clara. You point up an ambiguity in the caption. I think she was 17 at the time of playing tennis. The picture appeared in Queen magazine from 1963 but I apologise for the picture being undated.

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