Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who turns 90 today, is the first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II and holds the honour of being the oldest living member of the Royal Family
Matt Davies Trendswatch Reporter
06:30, 09 Oct 2025
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who turns 90, is the first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II(Image: Getty Images)
A working member of the Royal Family who holds the honour of being the oldest living Royal has held the same title for 83 years due to a devastating family tragedy when he was just a boy. A lesser-known royal, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who turns 90 today (born October 9, 1935), is the first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II and son of Prince George, Duke of Kent.
A former member of the British Army, the Duke retired in 1976 and has been a working royal ever since. Notably, he handed out the trophies at Wimbledon for more than 50 years in his role as President of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
In addition to his previous roles as Vice Chairman of the Overseas Trade Board and British Trade International, Prince Edward is also associated with more than 140 charities, organisations, and bodies, and, like other royals, completes yearly engagements.
As a young boy, Edward inherited the title of his late father after he tragically died, aged 39, in an air disaster known as the Dunbeath air crash at the height of the Second World War in 1942.
The Duke of Kent with his wife and son, Prince Edward, in the garden of his country home
(Image: Getty Images)
In the incident, Prince George and 13 others sadly met their end when their RAF Short Sunderland departed from Invergordon on August 25 to Iceland, but flew into a hillside, namely Eagle’s Rock in Caithness, Scotland, near the village of Dunbeath.
Yet, the Telegraph reported in 2024 that the Duke’s death had “never been satisfactorily explained”.
Despite this, the crash, which occurred in thick fog, was attributed to what the publication described as “poor weather and pilot error”, despite the alleged “suspicion” around this conclusion.
Indeed, since the tragedy, the disaster has reportedly also been the subject of conspiracy.
One such theory involved Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess (who famously flew to Scotland from Nazi Germany in a supposed mission of peace).
According to The Times, the conspiracy theory alleges that Hess was on the ill-fated plane as part of efforts to broker peace, while others have reportedly claimed the plane contained a 16th passenger.
Edward inherited the title of his late father after he tragically died, aged 39, in an air disaster
(Image: Getty Images)
Meanwhile, in modern times, Prince Edward, who has served as President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, is an advocate for war commemoration.
On the official Royal Family website, it states that he is keen for younger generations to continue the remembrance of the sacrifices made by people in both the First World War and Second World War.
In a quote attributed to the Duke on the website, he says: “WWII anniversaries are now an occasion for joint remembrance: an opportunity to pause and reflect on the horrors of war; to mourn and commemorate those who lost or gave their lives; to display our solidarity with those who survived.”