Lady Davina Lewis

Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Lewis (born Windsor on 19 November 1977) is the elder daughter of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and his wife Birgitte van Deurs.^[1][2] She is 28th in the line of succession to the British throne.^[3]

Early life and education

Lady Davina was born in London at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington.^[4] She was baptized on 19 February 1978 at Barnwell Parish Church.^[5] She grew up in Kensington Palace.^[6] Lady Davina was educated at Kensington Preparatory School in Notting Hill, followed by St. George's School, Ascot. She is a graduate of the University of the West of England, with a degree in media studies. In 2002, she was dating Rupert Young.^[7]

Marriage and children

On 31 July 2004, Lady Davina married Gary Christie Lewis (born in 1970), a New Zealander. Lewis is a carpenter and a surfing enthusiast, and has a son, Ari (born 1992) from a previous relationship.^[8] The couple had known each other for four years, having met on holiday in Bali.^[9] For several years, the couple kept their relationship secret.^[10] He is the son of Larry Lewis, who was runner-up in the Golden Shears in 1982,^[11][12] and nephew of the author Witi Ihimaera.

Gary Lewis is also the first person of known Māori descent to join the extended Royal Family, or to marry the daughter of a British prince.^[13] As a legitimate descendant in the male line of King George II and therefore a potential heir to the British throne, the Royal Marriages Act 1772 required that Royal Assent to the wedding be obtained in advance for the marriage to be legal and the descendants thereof to inherit rights of succession to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms, including that of New Zealand. On 20 July 2004, the Queen-in-Council formally declared her consent to Lady Davina's union with Lewis.^[14] The wedding took place at the chapel of Kensington Palace, Lady Davina's childhood home.^[15] Apart from the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the bride's siblings, no other members of the Royal Family were present at the wedding; only close friends and family were involved.^[16]

Lady Davina and her husband have a daughter, Senna Kowhai, who was born on 22 June 2010^[17] and a son, Tāne Mahuta, who was born 25 May 2012. Her son was named after the Tāne Mahuta, a giant kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand.^[18]

Until 26 March 2015 Tāne had been ahead of Senna in the line of succession to the British throne, as the monarchy's 300 year old Act of Settlement gave sons priority over daughters regardless of when they were born. When the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 took effect in all Commonwealth realms in 2015, as Lady Davina's eldest child Senna became the nearest relative of the reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, to be affected by the change in law, which advanced Senna's proximity to the Crown by reversing her place in the order of succession with that of her younger brother: Senna and Tāne became the 29th and 30th in line respectively.^[19] Davina's children were the first members of the family to be affected by this change.^[20]

Lady Davina does not carry out official functions, but does attend family events including royal weddings.^[21][22] Lady Davina and Gary Lewis were invited to attend the Queen's reception for members of the New Zealand All Blacks at Buckingham Palace in 2005.^[23] She and her husband also attended the royal wedding in 2011.^[24]

Ancestry

References