Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland

Prince Richard
Duke of Cleveland
Born	(1999-08-05) 5 August 1999 Buckingham Palace, London
Partner	Phoebe Dynevor (2021 – present)
Full name Richard Thomas Charles Alexander
House	Hanover
Father	Thomas
Mother	Christy Turlington
Religion	Protestant

Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland (Richard Thomas Charles Alexander; born 5 August 1999) is a British actor, activist, and a member of the British royal family. He is the second eldest child and only son of King Thomas and the American supermodel, Christy Turlington, and is also currently the first in the line of succession to the British throne as the heir presumptive to his sister, Queen Alexandra. Meanwhile, through his father's past relationship with actress, Jaclyn Smith, Richard is one of the former's two sons alongside former English professional footballer, William Smith, his older half-brother.

While known for his debut role in the Netflix period drama, Bridgerton as Colin Bridgerton, and for his most recent role as Viscount Tewksebury in the mystery film, Enola Holmes, Richard, whom as an activist himself is also closely associated with his mother, Queen Christy, with whom he has since been actively involved on a number of causes, including humanitarianism and physical health, while also being actively involved as well in a number of other causes he has since personally championed, which includes climate change and the issue of drug abuse.

As the heir presumptive to his sister, Queen Alexandra, Richard is expected to succeed the former to the throne in the case of the Queen's abdication or death in the absence of a natural heir to the throne, thereby theoretically making him the most recent British monarch to succeed a sibling on the throne after King William IV, whom on June 1830, succeeded his deceased older brother, George IV to the British throne.

Early Life

Richard was born on August 5th 1999 as the second eldest child of Thomas, Prince of the Welsh and American supermodel, Christy Turlington. Born Richard Thomas Charles Alexander, his given name was reportedly derived from the famous 12th-century English monarch, King Richard I (better known as Richard the Lionheart), while his two middle names were instead derived from the given names of his father and grandfather respectively, while his surname is otherwise thought to have been derived from the legendary Macedonian conqueror, Alexander the Great. Meanwhile, the list of his godparents would largely mirror that of his elder sister's, consisting of his mother's close supermodel friends, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, the actresses, Katharine Hepburn and Hedy Lamarr, singer, Nancy Sinatra, his 2nd cousin once removed and former American politician, Princess Hedy, Mrs Bennington, followed by a number of newer additions which includes the English singer, George Michael, US Senator Ted Kennedy, and then-President Bill Clinton.

Having been born just a few months after his mother's return to the United Kingdom, a decision that was taken in light of the completion of his mother's studies abroad, Richard was raised mostly in the royal residence of Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, due to the influence of his grandfather and his godmother, Katharine Hepburn, both of whom were professionally active themselves, Richard, whom as a result had a considerable amount of his time devoted to sports and other physical activities, although his academic education was nonetheless made a high priority. Beginning from the age of five, it was said that the young prince began exhibiting a mood of "constant joy and happiness", with his mother later recounting in an interview that he would "chase his siblings around the palace in an intense game of tag", which was reportedly a preferred activity among themselves. At the same time, when he was only three years old, Richard and his siblings were all joined by the likes of their half-mother, namely the actress, Kim Cattrall, and their half-elder sister, Princess Victoria. It was said that in contrast to his sister, Alexandra, whom otherwise proved quick to accept and quickly bond with their half-sibling, Richard himself would otherwise prove to be initially reluctant in doing so as well, even going so far as to rarely interact with his older half-sister, whom was otherwise incentivised to interact more with the girls instead, namely Alexandra and Mary. Nevertheless, by the time Richard would reach ten years of age, the two would eventually begin interacting in a more frequent manner with one another, following a years-long attempt by both Richard and Victoria's respective mothers to get the two to bond with the other more. In a later interview, the prince would go on to praise his older half-sister as "a natural-born leader with all the right senses of compassion and humility".

Teenage Years

Much like his elder sister, Richard himself would also be given a normal form of education. As a result, in following the former's footsteps, he was first enroled at the Broughton Primary School in Edinburgh, Scotland, before once more following his older sister at the nearby Broughton High School. Beginning from his primary school years, his teachers there would begin to notice the young prince's particular affinity for reading, as well as his own particular proficiency in Mathematics, and later, in the subject of Economics while studying at his secondary school. Meanwhile, for the subject of Physical Education, the prince himself particularly favoured a game of badminton, with matches between himself and his classmates often being described as "intense". However, despite his apparent proficiency in the sport, Richard, unlike his elder sister, decided not to pursue a professional career in the sport while in his teenage years, opting instead to further focus on his studies at school. Eventually, for his GCSE exams, he notably scored 7 A's and 3 B's in total, thus making him among the highest achieving students at his secondary school.

At the same time, Richard would also begin appearing at a number of official events alongside the rest of his family, with the first instance being his grandfather's funeral in March 2011, in which he, alongside the rest of his siblings, individually read their own respective eulogies in honour of the late British monarch. He would also appear once more at his grandmother's funeral just three years later. At the age of eighteen, upon his father's abdication from the throne, Richard was thus elevated to being first in line to the throne as the heir presumptive to his elder sister, having initially been second in line to the throne behind the former.

Adulthood

Royal Navy & University

Upon graduating from his secondary school, the prince had initially conceived an idea of enlisting in the military, particularly in the Royal Navy, thus following in his own father's footsteps. However, this idea was cut short when in the midst of training, the prince suffered a broken leg which, despite the prince's own initial protests, would ultimately force him to abandon his aspirations in the military for the time being. Nevertheless, after about two months of recovery, Richard, having decided to no longer pursue his interest in a military career anymore, otherwise decided to further his studies at a university, a decision that was reportedly inspired by the academic achievements of both his elder sister, whom had then recently graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Oxford University, and of his own parents, with his father having graduated with a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Central Connecticut State University, while his own mother herself otherwise graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Religion and Eastern Philosophy from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and later, with a master's degree from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Eventually, after a two-year-long stint at Cambridge University, he would go on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Economics.

Acting Career

Beginning in 2020, after some initial considerations and the like, the prince would begin to dabble in the world of acting, thereby following in the footsteps of his paternal grandparents, both of whom were equally successful in their respective acting professions. Known for his tendency to play the role of a young aristocrat, Richard's first acting credit came in the form of a role as Colin Bridgerton in the Netflix period drama, Bridgerton, followed by the role of Viscount Tewkesbury in the 2020 film, Enola Holmes, opposite actress, Millie Bobby Brown, with the Duke expected to reprise his role in an upcoming sequel, which is currently in production. In addition, he has also reprised his role of Colin Bridgerton in the second season of Bridgerton, and is expected to do so once more for the show's subsequent third season.

On January 22nd 2020, he was made Duke of Cleveland by his sister, Queen Alexandra.

Personal Life

Unlike his sisters, Richard, whom by contrast, is said to have lived a relatively more obscure and quiet life, although, since coming of age, he has nonetheless been seen frequently alongside members of his own family.

Having obtained a driving license of his own at the age of nineteen, he currently drives a BMW 4 Series. On the other hand, he has also expressed interest in flying as well, having once stated that he "would get to flying when the time is right and the opportunity comes".

Much like the rest of his siblings, Richard himself generally enjoys a mix of physical activities, namely football, swimming, and kickboxing.

Activism

Since his teenage years, Richard is nonetheless actively committed to a number of causes, which include humanitarianism, in which he participates actively alongside his mother, Christy Turlington. At the same time, he is also an outspoken activist on the issue of climate change. In one interview, he promoted the view that "there is absolutely a certain situation where both the economy and the environment could coexist on an equal footing, thus creating the ideal living space for mankind". Meanwhile, he also recently attended the 47th G7 summit held in Cornwall, England, during which he famously remarked, "If the great powers of Europe back in the 19th century come could together despite their differences to protect the lives of their citizens living faraway in China with all the guns and cannons available, then that same sense of unity should also be repeated as the world continues to suffer from the undeniable effects of climate change". The Duke has since also championed and promoted the concept of smart cities.

On the other hand, he is also actively involved in fighting drug abuse as well, a decision which reportedly came about as a result of his own elder sister's past drug abuse. In an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, the duke remarked, "While what happened to my sister certainly did motivate me to take up this cause, I am certainly aware that she is not the exception, but the rule, which is undeniably a sad reality that we are living in today, with hundreds and possibly thousands of people around the world dying from drug abuses and the like". Meanwhile, Richard himself has also urged the government of Prime Minister David Cameron to "treat the issue of drug abuse as a health and psychological problem, not a criminal one".

Relationship

Beginning in February 2021, Richard has been in a semi-publicised relationship with English actress, Phoebe Dynevor. Prior to their relationship, the two had starred together in the Netflix period drama, Bridgerton, with Dynevor playing the role of Daphne Bridgerton, and Richard as Colin Bridgerton, Daphne's brother.

Titles & Honours

• 5 August 1999 - 22 January 2020 His Royal Highness The Prince Richard
• 22 January 2020 - Present His Royal Highness The Duke of Cleveland

Honours

National & Commonwealth

• United Kingdom - Royal Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
• United Kingdom - Member of the Royal Family Order of King William V
• United Kingdom - Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Charles III
• United Kingdom - Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle
• United Kingdom - Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order
• United Kingdom - Member of the Order of St. George

Ancestry

Ancestors of Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland
8. Frederick of the United Kingdom 4. Charles III of the United Kingdom 9. Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia 2. Thomas of the United Kingdom 10. William Perske 5. Lauren Bacall 11. Natalie Bacall 1. Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland 6. Dwain Turlington 3. Christy Turlington 7. Elizabeth Turlington