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King and Queen Mark Duchess of Gloucester's 80th Birthday With Portraits
The royal couple posted birthday wishes and new photographs of the Duchess, who has served the Crown for more than five decades.
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The King and Queen issued a social media post on the morning of 20 June 2026 wishing the Duchess of Gloucester a happy 80th birthday. GB News reported the post read: "Happy 80th Birthday to The Duchess of Gloucester! " The message was accompanied by new portraits taken earlier this month.
One photograph shows the Duchess in the Yellow Drawing Room at a royal residence. Others depict her in the palace gardens. GB News reported the images were released to mark the milestone. The Duchess was born Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen in Denmark and grew up in Odense.
She met Prince Richard at Cambridge University in 1966 while he studied architecture and she pursued language studies. The couple married on July 8, 1973, at St Andrew's Church in Barnwell, Northamptonshire. She wore a Swiss organdy wedding dress designed by Norman Hartnell.
Six weeks after the wedding, Prince William, Prince Richard's elder brother, died in an aircraft accident. Prince Richard inherited his father's title the following year. The Duchess appeared at Trooping the Colour this year in an open-top carriage beside her husband.
Their carriage followed the one carrying the Duchess of Edinburgh and Sir Timothy Laurence. GB News reported she recently visited Bermuda to mark the Royal Bermuda Regiment's diamond jubilee in her role as Colonel-in-Chief. The Duchess is honorary president of the Lawn Tennis Association.
She supports the National Asthma Campaign and the Children's Society. She holds the patronage of the Royal Academy of Music, a role previously held by Princess Diana. The Duke and Duchess have three children and six grandchildren.
