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view HRH Princess Michael's descent from Catherine de' Medici and
Diane de Poitiers
Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent is the
younger child of the late Baron Gunther von Reibnitz and his wife,
the late Marianne, née Countess Szapary. She was born at Carlsbad
in Bohemia on the estate of her maternal grandmother Princess Hedwig
Windisch - Graetz. Her Royal Highness descends from ancient European
lineage on both sides of her Family. Having lived in Austria, Australia
and on her father’s farm in Mozambique, the princess moved
to London from Vienna to continue her historical studies including
the History of the Fine and Decorative Arts. Prior to her marriage,
Princess Michael formed her own successful interior design company,
Szapar Designs. While in London, she met His Royal Highness Prince
Michael of Kent, the first cousin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II. The couple married in Vienna in 1978 and have two children,
Lord Frederick (25) a classics graduate from Magdalen College,
Oxford, who is currently in the middle of a Law degree, and Lady
Gabriella Windsor (23) who graduated this year from Brown University,
Providence R.I. majoring in Comparative Literature and hopes to
become a writer.
Their Royal Highnesses carry out a great number of public and charitable
duties and also have the Queen’s permission to earn their livelihood.
Both speak a number of languages and have commericial interests in
many different fields, not least in Russia. They live in an apartment
in Kensington Palace and at Nether Lypiatt Manor, their 17th century
country house in Gloucestershire.
Her Royal Highness has an abiding love of history and the arts and
with such a background, it is not surprising that since her marriage
she has written two historical books, both of which were bestsellers
and translated worldwide: Crowned in a Far Country:Eight Royal Brides,
and Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours. Her third book, The
Serpent and the Moon: Two Rivals for the Love of a Renaissance King,will
be published in USA by Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster on 7th
September, 2004 and on 1st November in the United Kingdom.
It was the success of her books that stimulated international interest
in Princess Michael to give lectures on her specialist subjects,
initially speaking to the French Institute. She served on the Board
of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and for the past twelve years
has pursued a successful lecture career, speaking on various historical
subjects at museums and universities. Her Royal Highness has spoken
all over the U.S., principally for charities, and typically undertakes
two tours in the U.S. each year in April and October, speaking in
about thirty venues each year. Princess Michael has also lectured
in other countries including Canada, Argentina, Greece, Austria,
Switzerland and Russia, for a variety of charities and national institutions,
often at eminent museums and galleries. She has lectured for 'Save
Venice' and now lectures for ‘Venetian Heritage’ and
the English Speaking Union in a number of different cities, as well
as the Young Presidents Organization.
Princess Michael's other great love is animals, in particular horses,
which she rides and breeds with interest and enthusiasm. The family
has two black Labradors, two black sheep, exotic chickens, two vicious
Hungarian geese and the Princess’s adored Siamese and Burmese
cats which travel with her between London and the country house.
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