Who are Queen Elizabeth's cousins? From Princess Alexandra to Duke of Kent, meet the extended royal family
The British royal family is not only one tight-knit family but also a really large one. Did you know that Queen Elizabeth has 31 first cousins? Thanks to the huge number of aunts and uncles on both her maternal and paternal side, the monarch has a really large family. While it isn't possible to list out all the 31 cousins of the Queen, here are the few important ones who enjoy the privilege of being in her inner circle.
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Princess Alexandra
Any keen royal family observer might have noticed that the Queen seems to heavily favor her paternal first cousin. Princess Alexandra, the daughter of Queen’s paternal uncle Prince George, Duke of Kent, and his wife Princess Marina of Greece, has often been dubbed as the Queen's 'best friend. The two royals often attend various public events together and seem to share a very strong bond with each other. In 2016, the Queen threw her favorite cousin a birthday party for her 80th birthday.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Prince Edward is the oldest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and his wife Princess Marina of Greece. He became a duke at the tender age of seven after his father died in a tragic accident. Since then Prince Edward has carried out royal engagements on behalf of Queen Elizabeth for a better part of his life. He is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, giving out the Wimbledon trophy yearly to the winners. Prince Edward and his wife Katharine Worsley are the neighbors of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and live at Wren House at Kensington Palace.
Prince Michael of Kent
Prince Michael is the younger brother of Princess Alexandra and Prince Edward. He is not a working royal but occasionally represents the Queen abroad. He is married to Princess Michael. The couple's children- Lord Frederick Windsor and Lady Gabriella Windsor, grew up alongside Princess William and Harry at Kensington Palace.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Richard is the younger son of the Queen's paternal uncle Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and his wife Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott. Prince Richard had to take on royal responsibilities after his brother Prince William died in a plane crash in 1972, Although he wanted to be an architect he had to put his dreams aside to take on his royal responsibilities. He is the commissioner for English Heritage., and is patron of several charities.
The Hon Margaret Elphinstone, Mrs Rhodes
Margaret Rhodes was the daughter of Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon, her mother’s sister, and Lord Sidney Elphinstone. She grew up with Queen and Princess Margaret since she was very close to their age. She was one of eight bridesmaids at the then Princess Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1947. She lived in a grace and favour apartment on the Great Windsor Estate until her death in 2016.
Lady Mary Leveson-Gower
Lady Mary was the daughter of Lady Rose Bowes-Lyon (an elder sister of the Queen Mother) and The Hon. William Leveson-Gower. She played with her younger cousins Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret at the family seat of Glamis Castle, later revealing charming details of the young Queen-in-waiting, 'She liked to imagine herself as a pony or a horse. When she was doing that and someone called her and she didn’t answer right away, she would then say, "I couldn’t answer you as a pony", reported the Tattler. Her funeral was attended by Her Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Countess of Wessex and Princess Beatrice in 2014.