Prince George, Duke of Ross
| Prince George | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Ross | |
| Born | George Nicholas Olivier Abner Walpole 19 November 1957 Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England |
| Spouse | Charlotte II of the United Kingdom (m. 1978) |
| Issue | William, Prince of Wales Princess Elizabeth, Mrs. Kirkwood-Brown Prince Edward, Duke of York Princess Sophie, Duchess of Westminster |
| House | Ross |
| Father | Arthur Walpole, 5th Duke of Dudley |
| Mother | Constance Mary Abner |
 | |
Prince George, Duke of Ross (George Nicholas Olivier Abner; born 19 November 1957) is the husband of Queen Charlotte II of the United Kingdom. As such, he has been consort of the British monarch since his wife's accession in 1986.
Early life
George Nicholas Olivier Abner Walpole was born on 19 November 1957 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England. His father was Arthur Walpole, Earl of Albrighton, the eldest son of Thomas Walpole, 4th Duke of Dudley. His mother, Constance Mary (née Abner), was the daughter of George Washington Abner, an American business tycoon. George was the second of five children; he had one older brother, Mark, and three younger siblings: Anna, Christina, and Philip.
He was educated at Eton College in Berkshire, followed by an enrolment at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
When his grandfather died in 1964, his father became the 5th Duke of Dudley. From this point he was styled as Lord George Walpole.
Marriage and children
In 1977, George became acquainted with Princess Charlotte, the eldest daughter of King William V. Charlotte had been a classmate and friend of his sister, Lady Anna Walpole, at Benenden School. Lord George and the Princess quickly struck up a friendship, which then developed into a romantic relationship not long afterwards. Close friends and contemporaries of the couple have described it as a "whirlwind romance". After several months of dating, Walpole visited the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace to ask for their daughter's hand in marriage. The King and Queen agreed, and Walpole proposed to Charlotte in February 1978.
The couple's engagement was announced on 21 February 1978. They married on 13 July 1978 at Westminster Abbey, with over 2,000 guests in attendance and a landmark number of people watching the ceremony at home on television. They then set off on their honeymoon, choosing to spend a week in Australia followed by a week in a cottage on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire.
On the morning of the wedding ceremony, King William bestowed the title of Duke of Ross upon Walpole, and also made him a British prince with the style of Royal Highness. He also invested George as a Knight of the Order of the Garter.
George and Charlotte have four children:
- William, Prince of Wales (born 1979) Married in 2002 to Lady Anna Delamere Bruton, had issue
- Princess Elizabeth, Mrs. Kirkwood-Brown (born 1981) Married in 2017 to Michael Kirkwood-Brown, had issue
- Prince Edward, Duke of York (born 1985) Married in 2020 to Juliet Pakenham, had issue
- Princess Sophie, Duchess of Westminster (born 1993) Married in 2015 to Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, had issue
Titles and styles
- 19 November 1957 - 4 April 1964: The Honourable George Nicholas Olivier Abner Walpole
- 4 April 1964 - 13 July 1978: Lord George Nicholas Olivier Abner Walpole
- 13 July 1978 - present: His Royal Highness The Prince George, Duke of Ross, KG