Queen Elizabeth’s rarely-seen cousins Princess Alexandra, 89, and the Duke of Kent, 90, join forces for family appearance

The late Queen’s two cousins, Princess Alexandra and the Duke of Kent, were last spotted at the royal festive lunch at Buckingham Palace on 16 December

hile the royal family gathered to remember the late Queen Elizabeth on what would have been her centenary, Tuesday also brought rare reunions for some members.

While senior royal family members like King Charles and Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were all out in full force, so too were the late Queen’s two cousins, Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, and Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.

Alexandra, 89, and Edward, 90, are the children of the late Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. They also share a younger brother, Prince Michael of Kent, 83.

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The siblings chatting with attendees on Tuesday

While both remain working members of the royal family, Alexandra and Edward have scaled back their duties in recent years. But that didn’t stop them from reuniting for the commemorative reception in Buckingham Palace’s Marble Hall, which remembered their late cousin, Queen Elizabeth.

Seated beside a table holding two coupe glasses and slices of cake, the pair were spotted pensively chatting to other guests. Alexandra wore a vibrant blue jacket with a matching scarf, while Edward opted for a smart grey suit with purple socks.

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Princess Alexandra was the late queen’s bridesmaid back in 1947

Rare public appearance

The outing marked a rare public appearance for the siblings, who were last seen attending the royal festive lunch at Buckingham Palace on 16 December. Both were pictured arriving at the palace, with Alexandra appearing to wave from her car, while Edward was joined by his daughter-in-law, Sylvana Tomaselli.

It has been a difficult period for the Duke of Kent, who recently lost his wife, the Duchess of Kent, at the age of 92.

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The Duke of Kent sadly lost his wife in September

On 5 September, Buckingham Palace said: “The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”

A day of remembrance

Tuesday marked what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday. King Charles and Queen Camilla began a busy day of commemorative engagements at the British Museum, where they were shown the final designs for a memorial to the King’s late mother.

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The Princess of Wales and Prince William talk with guests during a reception at Buckingham Palace

Elsewhere, members of the family gathered in the museum’s circular Reading Room to view a scale model of the planned memorial in St James’s Park. The memorial will feature a Queen Elizabeth Bridge, gardens with winding paths, a Commonwealth Wind Sculpture by artist Yinka Shonibare and a bust of Her Late Majesty by sculptor Karen Newman on Birdcage Walk.

After visiting the British Museum, the Prince and Princess of Wales joined Alexandra and Edward at the reception in Buckingham Palace’s Marble Hall.