RIBA welcomes new Royal Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced its new Royal Patron, His Royal Highness Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester FRIBA.

The news comes after Buckingham Palace’s review of Royal Patronages following The King’s accession in September 2022. The review included the organisations of which Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II was Patron, such as RIBA.

The Duke of Gloucester is the second son of the late Duke of Gloucester and the late Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, who was the third daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch.

His Royal Highness is a grandson of George V and a first cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth II. He became heir to his father's titles following the death of his elder brother, Prince William of Gloucester, in a flying accident on 28 August 1972. He succeeded his father in June 1974.

Born Prince Richard of Gloucester on 26 August 1944 at Northampton, he was christened Richard Alexander Walter George. At the age of four months he was taken by his parents to Australia, where for two years (1945-47) his father was Governor-General.

Prince Richard's early education was at home, before going to school at Wellesley House, Broadstairs and then Eton.

In 1963, Prince Richard went to Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read architecture. He graduated in 1966, having completed three years of his five-year architectural course, and then joined the (then) Offices Development Group of the Ministry of Public Building and Works for his year's practical work, returning to Cambridge in 1967.

In June 1969, he passed both parts of his Diploma in Architecture at the university. After completing his training, he went into practice as a partner in a firm of London architects.

Prince Richard had planned a full-time career in architecture but, on the death of his elder brother, he became his father's heir and took on increased royal duties and the responsibility for the family estate at Barnwell in Northamptonshire. The Duke therefore resigned his partnership.

The Duke of Gloucester carries out a significant number of public duties and undertakes hundreds of official engagements in the UK and overseas each year. The Duke is associated with over 150 charities and organisations. His patronages reflect his professional and personal interests, which include international humanitarian issues, heritage and the built environment and military veterans.

Many of The Duke’s Patronages are related to architecture and conservation, both areas in which The Duke remains deeply interested. He was elected a corporate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1972 and he is President of the Scottish Society of the Architect-Artists. His fellowships include those of the Institution of Structural Engineers and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

His Royal Highness’s other Royal Patronages include the Architects Benevolent Society, the Scottish Society of Architect Artists, and the Victorian Society.

RIBA Chief Executive Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE said: “I am delighted to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester as our new Royal Patron. His experience and enthusiasm for architecture make him ideally suited to be our Royal Patron in our long-standing mission to advance architecture, by building the world’s greatest community of architects to deliver a high-quality, sustainable, and inclusive built environment.

“We look forward to this new chapter in our proud history as a Royal Institute.”