Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester

Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen was born on 20 June 1946 in Odense, Denmark, the younger daughter of lawyer Asger Preben Wissing Henriksen and his wife, Vivian van Deurs. She was educated in Odense and later attended finishing schools in Lausanne and Cambridge.^[1] She took her mother's ancestral name, van Deurs, on 15 January 1966 following her parents' separation.^[2][3] After completing a three-year course in Commercial and Economic Studies in Copenhagen, she moved to the United Kingdom in 1971 to work as a secretary at the Royal Danish Embassy in London.^[1]

Birgitte first met Prince Richard of Gloucester, the younger son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, in the late 1960s in Cambridge, while she was attending finishing school and he was studying architecture.^[4] Their engagement was announced in February 1972.^[1] They married on 8 July 1972 at St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, Northamptonshire.^[1]

Her wedding dress, designed by Norman Hartnell, was made of Swiss organdie with a high collar, long sleeves, a simple skirt and a small train. Instead of a tiara, she wore stephanotis flowers securing her veil.^[5] Upon marriage, she assumed the style Her Royal Highness Princess Richard of Gloucester.^[1]

Six weeks after the wedding, Richard's elder brother, Prince William of Gloucester, was killed in a flying accident. Richard became heir apparent to the dukedom, and on his father's death in 1974 the couple became the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.^[1]

They have three children: Alexander (born 1974), Davina (born 1977), and Rose (born 1980), all born at St Mary's Hospital, London.^[1] Birgitte and Richard reside at Kensington Palace.^[6]

Birgitte has accompanied Richard on numerous official overseas visits. Her first was in 1973, when they represented the Queen at the 70th birthday celebrations of King Olav V of Norway.^[7] Other joint visits have included Australia, Belgium, China, Denmark, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tonga, Tunisia and the United States.^[7] She has also travelled abroad in support of her own patronages and military affiliations, including a visit to Iraq in December 2008.^[7]

She and her husband represented the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the state funeral of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga on 19 September 2006,^[8] and at the coronation of King George Tupou V of Tonga on 1 August 2008 in Nukuʻalofa.^[9]

Birgitte is sponsor of two Royal Navy ships, HMS Gloucester and HMS Sandown, and is royal patron of the Bermuda Regiment. She is patron of SeeAbility; The Lullaby Trust; and Music in Hospitals & Care.^[10] She regularly attends events at institutions of which she is president or patron, including St Paul's Cathedral School; the Friends of St Paul's Cathedral;^[11] the Cathedral Music Trust;^[12] St John's School, Leatherhead;^[13] Bridewell Royal Hospital (King Edward's School, Witley); the Royal Alexandra and Albert School;^[14] the Children's Society;^[15] Parkinson's UK;^[16] Hope for Youth Northern Ireland;^[17] Scottish Opera;^[18] Lawn Tennis Association;^[19] the Royal School of Needlework;^[20] Turn2us;^[21] Missing People;^[22] and Princess Helena College. After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, she became president of the Royal Academy of Music.^[23] She is also patron of Prostate Cancer UK,^[24] and in March 2006, she opened the Prostate Centre.^[25]