Royal fans all expressed their delight at the Duke of Kent’s attendance at a special Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The RNLI was set up in 1824 and was celebrating 200 years of saving nearly 150,000 lives at sea. From responding to distress calls from paddle-boarders and wild swimmers to conducting small boat rescues, the organisation aims to meet the needs of those at sea.
Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and first cousin of the late Queen, lead the celebrations at Westminster Abbey as he smiled and greeted representatives from lifesaving communities and also saw a display of historic and modern lifeboats.
Royal fan, @LynnMcNeill4, wrote on X: “So lovely to see the Duke of Kent. He is one of my favourites.”
Another fan attended the service at Westminster Abbey and described how “it was an absolute honour” to meet the Royal Family member.
X user, @MadNoisyPilgrim wrote: “That’s a great charity, and the Duke is a faithful old gent. Always there to support The Queen, and now The King. God bless you all!”
The Duke of Kent’s mother, Princess Marina, was president of the charity, a role which her son took over in 1969. Born on October 9, 1935, in Belgrave Square in London, the Duke was the son of Prince George and Princess Marina, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, making him a cousin of the late Queen.
His full name is Prince Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick and he has two younger siblings; Princess Alexandra, born in 1936, and Prince Michael, who arrived in 1942.
During his time as president of the RNLI charity, the Duke has visited the vast majority of the RNLI’s lifeboat stations.
Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, husband of the Princess Royal, was also in attendance at the Service of Thanksgiving.
The Royal Family’s official X account also posted photos of the occasion and the service.
The Duke of Kent met volunteers and workers at the charity and inspected three lifeboats, including the William Riley, an oar- powered boat built in 1909; a D Class lifeboat; and a modern Shannon class boat.
The late Queen Elizabeth also became Patron of the RNLI in 1952, the same year she became Queen.
