Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Albany

Full name
	Alexandra Lauren William Louise

Alexandra
Alexandra
Duchess of Albany
First Sea Lord
Tenure	13 March 1991 - 21 June 1995
Preceded by	Julian Oswald
Succeeded by	Jock Slater
Governor-General of New Zealand
Tenure	15 March 1996 - 22 April 1999
Monarch	William VI
Preceded by	Catherine Tizard
Succeeded by	Silvia Cartwright
Prime Minister	Jim Bolger; Jenny Shipley; Helen Clark;
4th Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations
In office	1 April 2000 - 1 April 2008
Head	William VI
Preceded by	Emeka Anyaoku
Succeeded by	Don McKinnon
Chair	Thabo Mbeki (South Africa); John Howard (Australia); Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria); Lawrence Gonzi (Malta); Yoweri Museveni (Uganda);
Born	Alexandra Lauren William Louise; 14 September 1962 (age 61); Buckingham Palace, London
Spouse	Thomas Lancaster (m. 1996)
Issue; Detail	Prince Henry; Princess Lauren; Princess Alexandra;
Full name
Full name
	Alexandra Lauren William Louise
House	Hanover
Father	Charles III
Mother	Lauren Bacall
Religion	Protestant
Military service
Branch/service	Royal Navy;
Years of service	1980-2001 (active service)
Rank	Admiral of the Fleet
Commands	HMS Manchester (1988-1995); First Sea Lord (2011-Present); HMS Governor (1998-2001)
Battles/wars	Falklands War; Bosnian War; Gulf War

Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Albany (Alexandra Lauren William Louise; born 14 September 1962) is a member of the British royal family. In addition, she is also the Governor-General of New-Zealand from 1996 to 1999 and was notably the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2000 to 2008. Following in the footsteps of her predecessor Alice, she was the second female royal to hold the position of First Sea Lord, which she held from the year 1991 to 1995.

Early Life

Alexandra was born on the 14th of September, 1963 as the second daughter and youngest child of Charles III and former American actres turned queen consort Lauren Bacall. Alongside her sister Catherine the Princess Royal, she and the former were the only princesses among their other siblings. Her given name, Alexandra was reportedly inspired from an event two months prior, in which the queen consort undertook a solo trip to Australia, and happened to venture to the city of Alexandria in New South Wales. As a consequence of the fond memories from her brief visit to the city, it became the namesake for her youngest daughter.

While it had been customary for newborn royal children to be assigned to a governess, the princess however, following in the footsteps of her elder siblings were brought up personally by their parents, with the queen consort having reportedly spent the most time with her youngest child, as Alexandra's "distinguished" looks became a favourite of her mother.

Upon reaching the age of 11, Alexandra was enrolled into the Brentford School for Girls, where she exhibited a considerable degree of success in her respective subject. At the same time, the princess took up horse riding under the guidance of a private instructor.

Adulthood

Career In The Royal Navy

Upon graduating secondary school, much to the surprise of her parents and peers, Alexandra showed great enthusiasm in a naval-based military career. While it had not been a common occurrence, her enlistment into the Royal Navy was made possible by the Princess Alice Act 1946, which established the precedence for women to enlist in combat roles, in regards to the previously established setting that had limited women mostly to support roles such as medics.

In 1982, during the onset of the Falklands War, Alexandra, alongside her brother, the then Prince of Wales were commissioned together for the conflict despite opposition and fears of likely casualty resulting from either royals. During the conflict however, while the latter endured no instances of near death, the princess however came across one such instance when the HMS Bristol, the ship that the princess had been tasked to came into a close firefight with an enemy Argentine ship.

Following the end of the conflict, Alexandra was promoted to Chief Petty Officer. In November of the same year, Alexandra was commissioned as a midshipman. In 1986, she took her lieutenant' exam and passed with considerable success. Her final officer promotion came a year later where she was then promoted to Commodore by the recommendation of her brother, the newly crowned king for her diplomatic services.

Touring Princess

As she was to not see action until a decade later, Alexandra began to serve as an unofficial diplomat. In 1983, she became the first British royal to visit China, succeeding that of Margaret Thatcher's visit the previous year. Having promptly decided to undertake a series of visits aimed to facilitate reconciliation in the waning years of the Cold War, Princess Alexandra subsequently visited the Soviet Union in 1985, where she conversed for some time under much media coverage with the newly elected Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev.

Personal Information

Following in the footsteps of her father, Alexandra pursued a much liberal-oriented lifestyle, then highlighted by her marriage to Royal Navy Captain Thomas Lancaster in 1996.

A dedicated enthusiast and firm supporter of the Royal Navy, Alexandra is greatly known for her remarkable service in the armed forces, almost mirroring that of her third great-aunt Alice.

Titles & Honours

14 September 1962 - 13 July 1887 Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Cambridge
13 July 1886 - Present Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Albany