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A Royal Life

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A Royal Life

By: HRH The Duke of Kent, Hugo Vickers
Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong, Gregory Cox, Hugo Vickers, Julie Teal, Richard Attlee, Sandra Duncan
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About this listen

The insights and memories of a member of the British Royal Family - HRH The Duke of Kent in conversation with Hugo Vickers about some of the key events of his life and the Queen's reign.

HRH The Duke of Kent has been at the heart of the British Royal Family throughout his life. As a working member of the Royal Family, he has supported his cousin, The Queen, representing her at home and abroad. His royal duties began when, in 1952, at the age of sixteen, he walked in the procession behind King George VI's coffin, later paying homage to The Queen at her Coronation in 1953. Since then he has witnessed and participated in key Royal occasions. He represented The Queen at independence ceremonies from the age of twenty-five, he was riding with her when blanks were fired at Trooping the Colour in 1981, he was the oldest soldier on parade at Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph in November 2020 and he was alongside The Queen at her official birthday celebrations in June 2021 as Colonel of the Scots Guards.

No member of the Royal Family has spoken extensively of the modern reign and their part in it before. A Royal Life is a unique account based on a series of conversations between the Duke and acclaimed Royal historian Hugo Vickers. It covers some of the most important moments and experiences of the Duke's life, from his upbringing at his family home Coppins in Buckinghamshire, his twenty-one years of army life, his royal tours and events, through to his work for over 140 different organisations, including presenting the trophies at Wimbledon for more than 50 years. Here too are recollections of family members including his mother, Princess Marina, his grandmother, Queen Mary, his cousin, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and his uncle, King George VI.

Other members of the Royal Family contribute their memories, including his wife, the Duchess of Kent, the Duke's siblings, Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael of Kent, his son, the Earl of St Andrews, his daughter, Lady Helen Taylor as well as his cousins, Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, Archduchess Helen of Austria and her brother, Hans Veit Toerring.

A Royal Life is an unprecedented, insightful and remarkable slice of Royal history.

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2022 HRH The Duke of Kent, Hugo Vickers
Politics & Activism Royalty Solider Scotland

Critic reviews

A pleasure to read... a timely reminder of the need for service (Jane Ridley)
All stars
Most relevant
A lovely book about a very charming and dutiful prince. He has earned great respect for his loyal service to The Queen. I loved the different voices reading the various people in his life. I so much enjoyed it.

Fascinating.

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He is more than we knew and greater than we had seen, a privilege that She spoke to him, and that we were in his presence

A trully amazing book revealing a friend

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Very well narrated by quite a few contributors and a close insight into the Duke of Kent and his family and forebears.
Excellent piece of work

A very excellent book of Duty

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I love Royal books and admire the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Yet I found this book heavy going. The different voices were for me annoying especially the females. While I enjoyed the book I was glad when it ended.

Interesting but tedious

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I really enjoyed this Auto biography..I never finished the end bit of wha t I was going to say.. so now I have managed to say it...Really well worth reading..and HRH The Duke of Kent seems a very nice modest nice man....

Getting annoyed with being cut off...

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