Edward, Duke of Kent (88) was Colonel of the Scots Guards for five decades. Now the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) is handing over the important honorary title to another royal. Prince Edward (60), the Duke of Edinburgh and youngest brother of King Charles III, will now be in charge of the prestigious regiment. (75), take over. Buckingham Palace announced this at the weekend.
This Sunday (April 14th), the Duke of Kent will take part in the annual Scots Guards Remembrance Day in London, according to a statement. It will be his last appearance as a colonel. He had held the post since 1974 and visited the regiment regularly. In 2008, he also traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to meet members of the force there.
“Serving as Colonel in the Scots Guards since 1974, the longest term anyone has served in this role, has been a great honor that will always fill me with great joy,” the 88-year-old is quoted as saying in the statement. “During these years I have witnessed the work of the Scots Guards in times of peace and war and witnessed their bravery, selfless courage and devotion to duty.”
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the British Army. It is one of King Charles III’s five body regiments.
It is not known why Edward, the Duke of Kent, is retiring from the role of Colonel of the Scots Guards. Maybe he’s slowing down because of his age. The Duke of Kent was born in 1935 as the first child of Prince George (1902-1942), the younger brother of Queen Elizabeth II’s father King George VI. (1895-1952) to the world.
Even at the age of 88, as the oldest of the ten working royals, he still regularly attends public appointments. Other working royals include King Charles III. and wife Queen Camilla (76): Sophie (59) and Edward, Duchess and Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne (73) and her husband Timothy Laurence (69), Princess Kate (42) and Prince William (41) as well as Princess Alexandra ( 87), the sister of the Duke of Kent.
