Independence Day is celebrated across Mexico with fireworks, fiestas and parades on September 16. This year also marks the 200th anniversary of the end of Spanish rule.
Flying accident of Prince William of Gloucester
Prince Richard was not meant for royal duties. He was born to then-Duke of Gloucester (son of King George V and Queen Mary) and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, in 1944. His elder brother, Prince William of Gloucester, was in the line to inherit the royal duties as well as the title.
Prince Richard took a keen interest in architecture and graduated from Cambridge with a degree in architecture He also started working as a partner at a London architecture firm by 1972. But after the unfortunate death of Prince William in a flying accident, Prince Richard took on a more active role in the royal family. He resigned from the firm, and eventually succeeded his father as the Duke of Gloucester in 1974.
The Duke & Duchess of Gloucester (Photo credit: @RoyalFamily via Twitter)
An overseas visit, engagements focused on improving global relations and a focus on interfaith dialogue. All were part of the Duke of Gloucester’s 2020 diary, before the coronavirus pandemic struck, yet the work of this discreet royal and his equally low key wife often go unnoticed. Yet in a year when the Royal Family have faced ongoing challenges, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have remained a constant in the calendar of regal duty.
The year began with a series of audiences and engagements in support of some of the many organisations with which the couple are involved including the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust, the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and Lepra. Military matters also played a part with the Duke of Gloucester holding meetings in his role as Honorary Air Marshal of the Royal Air Force and in his capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal