Her Royal Highness The Princess Michael of Kent (Marie-Christine Anne Agnes Hedwig Ida Windsor, née von Reibnitz) (born June 15, 1945), is a member of the British Royal Family through her marriage to His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent.

Marie-Christine, Baroness von Reibnitz was born at Carlsbad (now in the Czech Republic), the only daughter of the late Günther Hubertus, Baron von Reibnitz , and his wife, the late Maria Anna Caroline Franziska Walpurga Bernadette, Countess Szapáry von Muraszombath, Széchyziget und Szapár .

Contents

1 Marriage 2 Succession and children 3 Media coverage 4 Styles and titles

Marriage

She married firstly Thomas Troubridge (born December 26 1939) on September 14 1971 at Chelsea Old Church , London. This marriage was formally annulled by the Roman Catholic Church in May 1978 for undisclosed reasons.

She married His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and a first cousin once-removed of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on June 30 1978 in a civil ceremony in Vienna. Upon marriage, she assumed the style and title of Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent. After receiving the Pope's permission, the couple married in a Roman Catholic ceremony on June 29 1983 at the Archbishop House, London.

Succession and children

Since the Act of Settlement 1701 prohibits anyone who has married a Roman Catholic from succeeding to the throne, Prince Michael of Kent (at the time, eighth in the line of succession) lost his succession right upon his marriage to Princess Michael. However, their children retain their rights of succession because they are in communion with the Anglican Church. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have two children:

• The Lord Frederick Windsor (Frederick Michael George Davis Louis), born April 6 1979
• The Lady Gabriella Windsor (Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia), born April 23 1981

Media coverage

Princess Michael of Kent has received considerable media attention, much of it critical, in the years since her marriage. It has been alleged that she does not get on with other members of the Royal Family, including the Queen, and that she is regarded by them as pushy and self-important. With the arrival of younger royals such as Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York, she had a much lower public profile. However, in May 2004 she was in the news when a group of black diners in a New York restaurant alleged that the Princess had told them to "get back to the colonies" when complaining about their noise - an accusation she denies.

She is the author of two books, Crowned in a Far Country: Eight Royal Brides (Weidenfeld), and Cupid and the King - Five Royal Paramours (Harper Collins).

Styles and titles

• Marie-Christine, Baroness von Reibnitz (1945–1971)
• Mrs. Thomas Troubridge (1971–1978)
• Mrs. Marie-Christine Troubridge (1978)
• Princess of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the style of Royal Highness (HRH Princess Michael of Kent) (1978 onwards)