Princess Michael of Kent celebrated her 80th Birthday on Wednesday, January 15.
The royal, born Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, has been married to Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, since 1978. They have two children: Lord Frederick Windsor, 45, and Lady Gabriella Windsor, 43.
In recent years, Princess Michael has faced several controversies, including an uncomfortable encounter with the Duchess of Sussex in December 2018.
The Princess wore a Blackamoor brooch to Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas lunch, which was also attended by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The style of art has previously been denounced as racist by many due to its depiction of enslaved African people.
“The brooch was a gift and had been worn many times before. Princess Michael is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offense,” a spokesperson for the princess said at the time.
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The brooch was briefly referenced during the couple’s Harry and Meghan Netflix docuseries which aired in December 2022.
Afua Hirsch, a journalist and author of ‘Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging,’ spoke about the incident on the docuseries, saying she wasn’t “hugely surprised” because it’s common to be “faced with racist imagery” in palaces and stately homes in the UK.
More recently, the Princess mourned the loss of her son-in-law, Thomas Kingston.
Lady Gabriella’s husband died by suicide at the age of 45 in February 2024. Speaking to members of the British press in December, Princess Michael said Kingston was “a lovely man, so kind and thoughtful.”
Here are six things to know about Princess Michael.
1. Princess Michael met Prince Michael when she was married to her first husband.
The Princess’ first marriage was to the late Thomas Troubridge, a banker, in 1971. They divorced after six years together.
According to various reports, the Princess was first introduced to Prince Michael shortly after marrying Troubridge, while visiting her husband’s friend, Prince William of Gloucester, at his Barnwell Manor estate in Northamptonshire.
Prince and Princess of Michael became good friends after her marriage to Troubridge ended, reports said.
Prince and Princess Michael were married in 1978, and Prince Michael temporarily lost his place in the line of succession because British royals were not allowed to marry Catholics until 2013, when the law changed.
As of January 2025, Prince Michael is 52nd in line to the British throne.
2. Though not a British royal by birth, Princess Michael has royal heritage.
The Princess is the granddaughter of Princess Hedwig von Windisch-Graetz, and was raised on her Carlsbad estate in Bohemia, which was originally part of the Austrian empire.
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3. Princess Michael’s father was a Nazi officer.
The Princess was born on January 15, 1945, eight months before the end of World War II.
The royal’s father, Gunther von Reibnitz, was a major in Hitler’s SS, a military unit within the Nazi party.
Speaking to various outlets in 1985, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Princess Michael was shocked to learn of her father’s involvement with the SS.
“It came as a total surprise to her when she heard the news,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “And it came as a total shock. There will be no further comment or statement from the princess,” they added.
4. Princess Michael is an author and historian.
She has penned several books, including three novels and three non-fiction books. A Cheetah’s Tale, an autobiographical account of her experience living on her father’s farm in Mozambique, was published in 2017.
When she’s not busy writing or undertaking royal engagements, Princess Michael gives history lectures. Her a
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reas of interest include 18th Century Europe, 18th Century Russia, and Monarchy and Motherhood, according to her website.
5. She previously worked as an interior designer.
After studying Fine and Decorative Arts at the Victoria & Albert Museum in the early 70s, the Princess spent five years working as an apprentice to interior designers in London before becoming one herself.
After completing her training, the royal opened her own interior design business, SZAPAR DESIGNS.
6. The Princess is a night owl.
Princess Michael shared her writing routine in an essay for The Huffington Post in 2015, revealing that she is a “night-writer.”
“It is the only time I am undisturbed and often at my laptop until three or four in the morning,” she wrote. “For me, the night feels like an embracing cocoon of black velvet, welcoming and warm; also mysterious — layer upon layer of shifting thoughts allowed to overlap,” she added.
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