Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland

Full name
	Richard William August Hanover

Prince Richard
Prince Richard
Duke of Cleveland
Born	Richard William August Hanover; 5 August 1998 (age 25); Buckingham Palace, London
Partner	Megan Williams (2019 – present)
Full name
Full name
	Richard William August Hanover
House	Hanover
Father	William VI
Mother	Märtha Louise of Norway
Religion	Protestant
Military service
Branch/service	British Army;
Years of service	2018-Present (active service)
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Yorkshire Regiment
Battles/wars	Operation Freedom's Sentinel

Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland (Richard William August Hanover; born 5 August 1998) is a member of the British royal family. He is the 2nd eldest child of William VI and Märtha Louise of Norway, and is currently the first in line of succession to the British throne, as the heir presumptive to his sister, Queen Alexandra.

Early Life

Richard was born on the 5th of August 1998 at Buckingham Palace as the second child of William VI and Märtha Louise of Norway. Succeeding his sister Alexandra, he was the first and eldest son out of two alongside his twin brother Alistair, who was born a few seconds later.

While his first and second names had been respectively chosen from the likes of the famed Richard I of England and his own father, his surname "August" however was by his own mother's suggestion in which he was named after the month he was born.

Upbringing

Raised in a much liberal atmosphere, Richard underwent his primary and secondary school years among the common public, in line with the wishes of his parents in raising their children under a less conservative tradition. Throughout his school years, Richard proved to be an exceptional student in both academics and sports, particularly in the game of polo. Unlike his sister however, he did not underwent private education back at Buckingham Palace, having instead further continuing his education in England's public schools.

Military Career

Soon after graduating from his secondary school, Richard chose to follow his sister's remarkable footsteps by pursuing a career in the British Army. Eventually, while Alexandra herself graduated in 2016, Richard successfully went on to achieve his own graduation around two years later, during his sister's reign.

In a case similar to that of his sister, the possibility of Richard being commissioned for active duty was subjected to intense scrutiny by the British government. Nevertheless, Richard, alongside his brother Alistair were commissioned together to Afghanistan under the Yorkshire Regiment. The brothers were subsequently honoured for their services by the queen following their return.

Heir Presumptive

Following the accession of Queen Alexandra, Richard was made the immediate heir presumptive to his sister, as the latter has yet to produce a legitimate heir of her own. As the de-facto heir to the throne, he occasionally carries out royal functions on behalf of the Queen. As of recently, he has represented the United Kingdom in a state visit to Israel in 2019, and later Denmark on the same year, both of which were conducted by the Duke himself.

Personal Life

A keen and outspoken environmentalist, Richard is a known patron and supporter of various environmentalist groups and organisations, particularly in the United Kingdom. Upon reaching adulthood, Richard has occasionally chaired several meetings and has also been the sponsor for several environmental projects.

Unlike his sister, Richard's private life remained mostly concealed though he was mostly known for his interests in environmentalism, and particularly in the game of football, as Richard himself is a fan of the Manchester United football club. However, the prince has since been confirmed to being in a relationship with British model, Megan Williams, when the latter was revealed in an Instagram post to had been residing with the prince in the royal estate of Birkhall in Scotland. Subsequently, the nature of their relationship, which is that of a British royal with a fashion model partner of the same nationality has often been similarly compared to that of his elder sister and British model Rhys Pickering.

Titles & Honours

5 August 1998 - 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

Foreign

Norway - Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of St Olav
Norway - Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V
Norway - Recipient of the Royal House Centenary Medal
Norway - Recipient of the King Harald V Silver Jubilee Medal