Henry & Alice, Duke & Duchess of Gloucester

[YaBB_Jose]

Are there any pictures of him as an adult ?
All the pics I've seen of him show him as a boy, as page in weddings, etc, but after all, he died aged 31.
Was he ever engaged (or rumoured to be ) to someone ?

[Viscount]

HRH Prince William of Gloucester (William Henry Andrew Frederick Windsor), (December 18, 1941 – August 28, 1972)  
 
From Wikipedia.....

After graduating in 1963, he spent a post-baccalaureate year at Stanford University studying political science, American history, and business. Upon returning to Britain, he took a position with Lazards, a merchant bank.

Prince William was the second member of the British Royal Family to work in the civil service or the diplomatic service. (The first was his late uncle, Prince George, Duke of Kent in the 1920s). He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1965 and was posted to Lagos as the third secretary to the British High Commission. In 1968, he transferred to Tokyo to accept the post of second secretary (commercial) in the British Embassy. In 1970, the Duke of Gloucester's health began to fail and he was diagnosed as suffering from porphyria. Prince William resigned from the diplomatic service and returned to Britain. For the next two years, he managed Barnwell Manor and began to carry out public duties as a member of the royal family.

Prince William served on some occasions as Counsellor of State in the absence of his cousin, the Queen.

A certified pilot, he owned several aircraft and competed in several air shows. He died when the plane he was piloting crashed at Halfpenny Green, near Wolverhampton[1]. He was buried at Frogmore Royal Burial Ground. The comprehensive school in Oundle, which he opened in 1971, was renamed in his memory.
 

The Viscount

[Viscount]

How the BBC reported his sad and untimely death =

28th August 1972: Prince William killed in plane crash

Prince William of Gloucester has been killed after his light aircraft crashed and burst into flames.
The prince was taking part in an air race near Wolverhampton in the west Midlands.

His plane, a yellow and white Piper Cherokee Arrow, banked sharply soon after take off, hit a tree and plunged to the ground.

Prince William, 30, and his co-pilot, Vyrell Mitchell, were trapped in the wreckage.

Three boys who tried to reach them were beaten back by the flames. One of them, Derek Perton, described their frantic rescue attempts. "We tried to break into the plane's doors and then tried to break it in half by pulling at the tail. "But it was no good, we had to go back because of the heat," he said.

Firemen arrived on the scene a few minutes later but were unable to get near because of the heat of the blaze.  Prince William, a bachelor, was ninth in line to the throne.  He was the eldest son of the Queen's uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. The Queen has called off a visit to the Olympic Games and ordered family mourning until Prince William's funeral.  Princess Anne has also cancelled her plans to travel to the Olympics and the Duke of Edinburgh, who is already in Munich, will return for the funeral.  The Prime Minister, Edward Heath, has sent messages of condolence to the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Queen.

Government air safety experts have begun an investigation into the crash.

A crowd of about 30,000 people were watching the race at Half Penny Green Airfield.

The race's chief steward, Beverley Snook, has appealed to amateur photographers to submit any cine film and pictures of the accident to investigators.


The Viscount

[Viscount]

Im afraid Ive exhausted my knowledge etc on HRH Prince William of Gloucester.

He was a dashing and exciting young man - by all accounts, was rumoured that he had many affairs with married women - a Windsor tradition?  Poss gossip??  Ive even read that he had a thing with Mrs Tom Troubridge - later HRH Princess Michael of Kent..... but that seems unlikely if you ask me!!

Hopefully - someone will have more pics of him.  Sad that his life, full of expectation and fun, and such a good looking man should loose his lefe so tragically and so young.


The Viscount

[YaBB_Jose]

I wonder if someone had a picture of William at his brother Richard's wedding.
Richard got married in July 72 and William died in Aug.72 so it should have been the last great gathering he took part in.

[grandduchessella]

Prince William was his brother's best man. I've seen a picture of the wedding but can't find one right now.

I'll have to go back to Purple Secret, since I mostly read the chapters on Charly & Vicky, but I think the author's hypothesized that William could've had porphyria as well.

[YaBB_Jose]

Do you think they would leave someone with porphyria pilot a plane   :-/?
They are not quite cheap...

[grandduchessella]

I don't think it was diagnosed, that's why it's speculation on the author's part based on medical and anecdotal evidence, much like with Charly.

[kayekaye]

[quote

I wonder if someone had a picture of William at his brother Richard's wedding.
Richard got married in July 72 and William died in Aug.72 so it should have been the last great gathering he took part in.
[/quote]

[size=12]A picture of the wedding party was published in Purple Secret, with William standing next to his brother, as best man. Princess Margaret, Princess Alice Countess of Athlone and the Queen Mother were also in the small line up (of intimate family only). Sadly, the invalid Duke of Gloucester was absent - apparently he'd been able only to watch the proceedings on TV, of which he reportedly 'showed aome understanding of what was happening.' he did shortly thereafter.
If anyone has the pic and scanner handy....?[/size]

[kayekaye]

Need to get the hang of the new and improved format re posting...as well as get some sleep!  

[royal_netherlands]

Two wonderfull pictures of his mother Princess Alice of Gloucester on her wedding day in 1935.
Question where Queen Maud of Norway and Princess Victoria (''Toria'') present at the Gloucester wedding in 1935?
(any pictures?)

Thank you in advance

RN

[grandduchessella]

I don't think that Toria was. She was in ill-health and died just weeks after the wedding. I have the Gloucester wedding issue--if no one knows about Maud, I'll try to dig it out and check.

[royal_netherlands]

Poor ''Toria'' , If know one knows, and you're going to dig fore it thank you advance gdella.

RN

[Marlene]

Of course there are photos of William as an adult.  He carried out numerous engagements.  He attended university.  He was in the diplomatic service, and also attended, briefly, Stanford.  Giles St. Aubuyn of Prince William, which was published after his death.  He was involved with Zusazy Starkloff, a Hungarian woman several years older, twice divorced and Catholic.  St. Aubuyn wrote abot the relationship - she met William's parents, but a marriage was out of the question. 

Are there any pictures of him as an adult ?
All the pics I've seen of him show him as a boy, as page in weddings, etc, but after all, he died aged 31.
Was he ever engaged (or rumoured to be ) to someone ?

[Marlene]

Queen Maud of Norway and King George II of the Hellenes attended the wedding in 1935.  Princess Victoria was not present.  See the articles in the Times about the wedding ..