by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025
Sir Angus Ogilvy and Princess Alexandra of Kent on their wedding day; Photo Credit – https://www.royal.uk/princess-alexandra
On April 24, 1963, at 12:00 noon, Princess Alexandra of Kent, granddaughter of King George V and the only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, who died in a plane crash in 1942, married The Honorable Angus Ogilvy, later Sir Angus Ogilvy, at Westminster Abbey in London, England.
Early Life of Princess Alexandra of Kent
Princess Alexandra of Kent was born on December 25, 1936, at No. 3 Belgrave Square, her parents’ London home. She is the second of the three children and the only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent (a son of King George V, and younger brother of King Edward VIII and King George VI), and Princess Marina of Greece. At the time of her birth, she was sixth in the line of succession for the British throne. Through her father, Alexandra is a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and through her mother, she is a first cousin once removed of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Alexandra has two brothers:
Along with her brothers, Alexandra grew up at Coppins, the family’s country home in Iver in Buckinghamshire, England. In 1942, her father was killed in a plane crash, just weeks after the birth of her younger brother. Alexandra attended Heathfield School, near Ascot, England. She was the first British princess to attend an ordinary school, instead of being taught privately at home. She later studied French and music at a finishing school in Paris and took a nursing course at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, England.
In the late 1950s, Princess Alexandra began to take on royal duties, supporting her cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. She often represented The Queen on trips overseas, including the 1960 independence ceremonies in Nigeria. Alexandra was one of the most active members of the royal family, undertaking well over 120 engagements each year
Early Life of Sir Angus Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy, newly engaged in 1962
Born The Honourable Angus James Bruce Ogilvy in London, England, on September 14, 1928, Angus was the fourth child and second son of David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie, and Lady Alexandra Coke, daughter of Thomas Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester.
Angus had five siblings:
- Lady Victoria Ogilvy (1918 – 2004), married Alexander Lloyd, 2nd Baron Lloyd, had one son and two daughters
- Lady Margaret Ogilvy (1920 – 2014), married Sir Iain Tennant, had two sons and one daughter
- Lady Griselda Ogilvy (1924 – 1977), married Major Peter Balfour, had issue
- David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie (1926 – 2023), married Virginia Ryan, had three sons and three daughters
- The Honorable James Ogilvy (1934 – 2024), married (1) Magdalen Ducas, had four children, divorced; (2) Lady Caroline Child-Villiers, no children
Angus attended the Heatherdown School near Ascot, England, and then Eton College. He was commissioned as an officer in the Scots Guards, and in 1950, he graduated from Trinity College, Oxford, with a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Following his education, he began working with the Drayton Group, a large group of trusts headed by financier Harold Drayton. In 1956, Angus became a Director of the Drayton Group and served as director for over fifty other companies.
The Ogilvy family has had close ties with the British Royal Family. Angus’s grandmother, Mabell Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie, was a lifelong friend of Queen Mary and served as one of her ladies-in-waiting for over 50 years. Angus’s father served as a Lord-in-Waiting to King George V and then as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother from 1937 to 1965. An uncle served as an equerry to the future King Edward VIII while he was Prince of Wales. Angus’s elder brother, David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, served as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth II from 1984 to 1997. His sister-in-law, Virginia Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie, was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II from 1973 until the Queen died in 2022.
Pre-Wedding
Photo taken shortly after the engagement announcement – Left to Right: The Earl of Airlie, Princess Marina, Princess Alexandra, Angus Ogilvy, and The Countess of Airlie
In 1955, Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy first met at a ball at Luton Hoo, the Bedfordshire home of Lady Zia Wernher. The Wernhers were lifelong friends of the royal family, sharing both ancestry and a passion for horse racing. During their eight-year courtship, Alexandra and Angus often met at Cluniemore, the Perthshire home of Lady Zia’s daughter, Myra Butter.
Alexandra’s mother, Princess Marina, announced the couple’s engagement on November 19, 1962, at Kensington Palace. Queen Elizabeth II gave her official consent to the marriage, as required at that time by the Royal Marriages Act 1772, on December 19, 1962. Angus gave Alexandra an engagement ring made of a cabochon sapphire set in gold and surrounded by diamonds on both sides.
Angus was offered an earldom by Queen Elizabeth II, which he declined. He also declined a grace-and-favor residence, instead taking the lease on Thatched House Lodge in Richmond Park in London, owned by the Crown Estate.
Two days before the wedding, on April 22, 1963, Queen Elizabeth II hosted a white-tie ball for 2,000 guests at Windsor Castle. As a wedding gift to Alexandra, Angus presented his bride-to-be with some wonderful jewelry. Alexandra often wore diamond and pearl floral ornaments in her hair. Angus had the floral ornaments turned into a new tiara called the Ogilvy Tiara. Together, with a coordinating pair of earrings and a copy of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace, they were Angus’s wedding gift to Alexandra.
The Wedding Site
Westminster Abbey was completed around 1060 and was consecrated in 1065, during the reign of King Edward the Confessor. Construction of the second and present church began in 1245 by King Henry III, who selected the site for his burial. In 1269, Henry III oversaw a grand ceremony to rebury Edward the Confessor in a magnificent new shrine, personally helping to carry the body to its new resting place.
Westminster Abbey was the wedding venue for six royal weddings during the reigns of the Plantagenet kings, including the wedding of King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia in 1382. That would be the last royal wedding at Westminster Abbey until the reign of King George V. Queen Victoria’s granddaughter and King George V’s first cousin, Princess Patricia of Connaught, married The Honorable Alexander Ramsay at Westminster Abbey in 1919. This was the first major royal event after World War I. The wedding of King George V’s daughter, Princess Mary, and Viscount Lascelles, in 1922, was the first time a child of a monarch had married at Westminster Abbey since 1290, when Margaret of England, daughter of King Edward I, married John II, Duke of Brabant.
The Wedding
Before the wedding, as the guests were arriving, the Westminster Abbey organist played pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederic Handel, Herbert Howells, and William Henry Harris. Princess Alexandra walked down the aisle on the arm of her brother, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, to the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy”.
Alexandra’s wedding dress, designed by John Cavanagh, was made from Valenciennes lace, with a matching veil and a twenty-foot-long train. The wedding dress included a piece of lace from the bride’s late grandmother, Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, born Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, and the veil worn by Lady Patricia Ramsey, born Princess Patricia of Connaught, at her own wedding in 1919. Alexandra wore the diamond fringe tiara given to her mother by the City of London as a wedding gift in 1934. Angus wore morning dress.
Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury, marries Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy. To the right are members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and the Queen Mother.
The traditional Church of England wedding service was conducted by Eric Abbott, Dean of Westminster, and Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury.
During the service, the hymns “God Be in My Head, and in My Understanding” and “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” were sung. At the end of the service, the National Anthem was sung, and during the signing of the register, anthems by Christopher Tye, Thomas Weelkes, and George Frederic Handel were sung. The newlyweds left Westminster Abbey to Charles-Marie Widor‘s “Toccata” from Symphony for Organ No. 5 and William Walton‘s “Crown Imperial”.
After the wedding, Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy rode through the streets of London in the Glass Coach to St. James’s Palace for the wedding breakfast hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
The wedding group at St James’s Palace, London, during the reception – Left to right, back row: Peregrine Fairfax, Lady Balfour, Iain Tennant, Lady Lloyd, James Ogilvy, Lady Ogilvy, Lord Ogilvy, Mrs. J Ogilvy, Lord Lloyd, Lady Margaret Tennant, and Peter Balfour. Centre, from left: Prince Michael of Kent, the Countess of Airlie and the Earl of Airlie (parents of the bridegroom), Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (mother of the bride), the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen, the Queen Mother, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Front, from left: Doune Ogilvy, the Archduchess Elizabeth of Austria, David Ogilvy, the Bride and Groom, Princess Anne, Simon Hay, Georgina Butter, and Emma Tennant.
The Attendants
Left to right, back row: The Countess of Airlie (mother of the bridegroom), Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (mother of the bride), the Bride and Groom, Princess Anne, The Earl of Airlie (father of the groom), and Peregrine Fairfax. Left to right, front row: Doune Ogilvy, David Ogilvy, Archduchess Elizabeth of Austria, Simon Hay, Georgina Butter, and Emma Tennant.
The Honorable Peregrine Fairfax, son of Albert Fairfax, 12th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, served as the best man. There were two page boys and five bridesmaids.
- The Honorable David Ogilvy, son of Lord Ogilvy, later David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, groom’s nephew
- Simon Hay, son of Lady Margaret and Sir Philip Hay
- Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, paternal first cousin once removed and maternal second cousin of the groom
- Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, granddaughter of Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark, the bride’s maternal first cousin once removed
- The Honorable Doune Ogilvy, daughter of Lord Ogilvy, later David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, the groom’s niece
- Georgina Butter, daughter of Myra Butter, the bride’s maternal fourth cousin, and also her goddaughter
- Emma Tennant, daughter of Lady Margaret and Iain Tennant, the groom’s niece.
Notable Wedding Guests
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and members of royal families arrive
2,000 guests attended the wedding. Listed below are notable wedding guests.
Relatives of the Bride
- Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, born a Princess of Greece and Denmark, the bride’s mother
- Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the bride’s paternal aunt by marriage
- Princess Mary, The Princess Royal, the bride’s paternal aunt
- The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the bride’s paternal uncle and aunt
- Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (born Princess Alice of Albany, last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria), the bride’s paternal first cousin twice removed and paternal great-aunt by marriage
- The Earl Mountbatten of Burma (born Prince Louis of Battenberg), the bride’s paternal second cousin once removed
Relatives of the Groom
- David Ogilvy, 12th Earl of Airlie and the Countess of Airlie, the groom’s parents
- The Lady Lloyd and Alexander Lloyd, 2nd Baron Lloyd, the groom’s sister and brother-in-law
- Lady Margaret Tennant and Iain Tennant, the groom’s sister and brother-in-law
- Miss Emma Tennant, the groom’s niece
- Lady Griselda Balfour and Major Peter Balfour, the groom’s sister and brother-in-law
- Lord and Lady Ogilvy, the groom’s brother and sister-in-law
- The Honorable James Ogilvy and Mrs. Ogilvy, the groom’s brother and sister-in-law
Royal Guests
- Queen Ingrid of Denmark (born a Princess of Sweden), the bride’s paternal second cousin once removed
- Queen Frederica of Greece (born Princess Frederica of Hanover), the bride’s maternal and paternal second cousin once removed, and wife of King Paul of Greece, the bride’s first cousin, once removed
- Princess Irene of the Netherlands, the bride’s maternal second cousin once removed
- Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, the bride’s maternal second cousin once removed
- King Olav V of Norway (born Prince Alexander of Denmark), the bride’s paternal first cousin once removed
- Queen Louise of Sweden (born Princess Louise of Battenberg), second wife of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, the bride’s paternal second cousin once removed
- Princess Margaretha of Sweden, the bride’s paternal third cousin
- Princess Désirée of Sweden, the bride’s paternal third cousin
- Berthold, Margrave of Baden and the Margravine of Baden (born Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark), the bride’s double second cousin once removed and the bride’s maternal first cousin once removed
- Prince Ludwig of Baden, the bride’s maternal second cousin
- Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover and Princess Georg Wilhelm of Hanover (born Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark), the bride’s double second cousin once removed and the bride’s maternal first cousin once removed
- Princess Clarissa of Hesse, the bride’s maternal second cousin
- Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine and Margaret, Princess of Hesse and by Rhine (born Margaret Campbell Geddes), the bride’s paternal second cousin once removed, and his wife
- The Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (born Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark), the bride’s maternal first cousin once removed
- The Duchess of Aosta (born Princess Irene of Greece), the bride’s maternal first cousin once removed
- King Umberto II of Italy, the bride’s paternal seventh cousin once removed
- Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain (born Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg), a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the bride’s paternal first cousin twice removed
- The Prince of Asturias (grandson of Queen Victoria Eugenie and later King Juan Carlos of Spain) and Princess of Asturias (born Princess Sofia of Greece), the bride’s paternal third cousin and the bride’s maternal second cousin
- Queen Mother Helen of Romania (born a Princess of Greece and Denmark), the bride’s maternal first cousin once removed
- Princess Paul (born Princess Olga of Greece) and Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, the bride’s maternal aunt and uncle
- The Duke of Bourbon and Burgundy, the bride’s paternal third cousin and the bride’s maternal second cousin
Other Notable Guests
- Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Lady Dorothy Macmillan
- R. A. Butler, First Secretary of State, and Mrs. Butler
- Duncan Sandys, Secretary of State for the Colonies, and Mrs. Sandys
- The Earl of Home, Foreign Secretary, and the Countess of Home
- The Earl and Countess Attlee, former Prime Minister and his wife
- The Earl and Countess of Avon, former Prime Minister and his wife
- Lady Churchill, wife of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
- The Lord and Lady Fisher of Lambeth, former Archbishop of Canterbury and his wife
Afterward
The couple and their children lived at Thatched House Lodge in Richmond Park, owned by the Crown Estate. Alexandra was one of the most active members of the royal family, undertaking well over 120 engagements each year. From 1964 until 2004, she served as Chancellor of Lancaster University. Angus worked at the Drayton Company and later worked with the tycoon Tiny Rowland at Drayton’s subsidiary, London and Rhodesia Mining and Land Company (Lonrho).
Angus Ogilvy is remembered for his role in a business scandal, known as the Lonrho affair, involving the breaking of sanctions against Rhodesia during the 1970s. Although Angus was cleared of all wrongdoing, his reputation had been damaged. He increased his focus on charity work, which he would continue for the remainder of his life. Among his many charities, he served in leading roles with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Youth Clubs UK, Arthritis Care, National Children’s Homes, and the Leeds Castle Foundation. He also served as Chairman of the Advisory Council for The Prince’s Trust. For his charity work and continued support of the monarchy, he was created a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1988, enabling him to be styled Sir Angus Ogilvy, and in 1997 was made a member of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council.
In 2002, Angus was diagnosed with throat cancer and canceled all of his public engagements. Despite his failing health, he participated in The Queen’s Golden Jubilee festivities in June 2002 and accompanied his wife on an official visit to Thailand in February 2003. His final public appearances were at the Garter Service and Royal Ascot in June 2004. Sir Angus Ogilvy died on December 26, 2004, at the Kingston Hospital in Kingston upon Thames, London. Following a private funeral held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, on January 5, 2005, he was buried at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor, England. After Angus died, Princess Alexandra continued to live at Thatched House Lodge and at grace and favor apartments at St. James’s Palace in London.
In April 2013, Buckingham Palace announced that Princess Alexandra was suffering from polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and had canceled future public appointments indefinitely. She was not seen for much in 2013 but returned to royal duties later in the year. In recent years, Princess Alexandra has not been seen often. In May 2023, she appeared with other working members of the royal family in photos in the Throne Room and on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the Coronation of King Charles III, which she had attended. In February 2024, she was seen using a wheelchair at the Thanksgiving Service for the late King Constantine II of Greece at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. In June 2024, Princess Alexandra sat next to King Charles III during a church service marking the 400th anniversary of the Queen’s Chapel at St. James’s Palace in London, England.
Children and Grandchildren
Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy with their children Marina and James in 1966
Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy had two children and four grandchildren.
- James Robert Bruce Ogilvy (1964), married Julia Rawlinson, had two children
- Flora Alexandra Ogilvy (born 1994)
- Alexander Charles Ogilvy (born 1996)
- Marina Victoria Alexandra Ogilvy (1966), married and divorced Paul Mowatt, had two children
- Zenouska May Mowatt (born 1990)
- Christian Alexander Mowatt (born 1993)
This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.
Works Cited
- Goodey, Emma. (2018). Princess Alexandra. The Royal Family. https://www.royal.uk/princess-alexandra
- Mehl, Scott. (2014). Princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy | Unofficial Royalty. Unofficialroyalty.com. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-alexandra-the-hon-lady-ogilvy/
- Mehl, Scott. (2017). Sir Angus Ogilvy, Husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent | Unofficial Royalty. Unofficialroyalty.com. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sir-angus-ogilvy/
- thecourtjeweller. (2024). The Classic Heirloom Tiaras Worn by Alexandra, Britain’s Christmas Princess. The Court Jeweller. https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2024/12/the-classic-heirloom-tiaras-worn-by-alexandra-britains-christmas-princess.html
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Wedding of Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
