Lady Davina Lewis

Lady Davina Lewis
Born Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Windsor
(1977-11-19) 19 November 1977
St Mary's Hospital, London, England
Alma mater University of the West of England
Spouse(s)
Gary Lewis (m. 2004)
Children 2
Parent(s)

Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Lewis (née Windsor; born 19 November 1977) is the elder daughter of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and his wife Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester.[1][2] She is 30th in the line of succession to the British throne as of June 2018.

Early life and education

Lewis was born at St Mary's Hospital, London.[3] She was baptized on 19 February 1978 at Barnwell Parish Church.[4] She grew up in Kensington Palace.[5] 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.

Marriage and children

On 31 July 2004, she married Gary Christie Lewis (born in 1970), a New Zealander. Lewis is a carpenter who runs a property renovation business[6] and a surfing enthusiast, and has a son, Ari (born 1992) from a previous relationship.[7] The couple had known each other for four years, having met on holiday in Bali. For several years, the couple kept their relationship secret.[8] He is the son of Larry Lewis, a Māori builder[6] who was runner-up in the Golden Shears in 1982.[9][10] His uncle is the prominent Maori author Witi Ihimaera who wrote The Whale Rider which became a film of the same name.[6]

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.[11] As she is 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 her marriage.[12] The wedding took place at the private chapel of Kensington Palace, Lady Davina's childhood home.[13] 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.[14]

Lewis and her husband have a daughter, Senna Kowhai, who was born on 22 June 2010[15] 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.[16]

Until 26 March 2015, Tāne was 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. When the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 took effect in all Commonwealth realms in 2015, Senna became the nearest relative of the reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, to be affected by the change in law, which advanced her proximity to the Crown by reversing her place in the order of succession with that of her younger brother. Senna and Tāne became 28th and 29th in line (now 31st and 32nd), respectively. Her children were the first members of the family to be affected by this change.[17]

Lewis does not carry out official functions but does attend family events including royal weddings.[18] 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.[19] She and her husband also attended Prince William's wedding in 2011.[20]

Ancestry

References

  1. ↑ Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. "Burke’s Royal Families of the World: Volume II Africa & the Middle East, Addendum to Volume I, 1980, pp. 312. ISBN 0-85011-029-7
  2. ↑ "People in the News". Joplin Globe. 22 December 1977. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
  3. ↑ "Duchess Leaves With Baby". Corsicana Daily Sun. 27 November 1977. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
  4. ↑ "Baptismal Day". Medina County Gazette. 20 February 1978. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
  5. ↑ Jackson, Lorne (1 August 2004). "Lady Davina Marries a Sheep Shearer". Sunday Mercury. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via HighBeam Research. (Subscription required (help)).
  6. 1 2 3 Chapman, Paul; Davies, Caroline (27 July 2004). "A palace wedding for Lady Davina and her sheep-shearing Maori surfer". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Lady Davina quits London for life in Auckland with Maori husband". Hello Online. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  8. ↑ "Exclusive: The Royal and the Sheep-Shearer". The Mirror. 3 April 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via HighBeam Research. (Subscription required (help)).
  9. ↑ "Open Shearing – Second shear British Breed, Sheep". Golden Shears – Masterton, New Zealand. Shearing World. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  10. ↑ Thomson, Ainsley (6 April 2004). "Gazza unfazed by new royal in-laws". National News. APN Holdings NZ – New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  11. ↑ "Lady Davina quits London for life in Auckland with Maori husband". Hello!. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  12. ↑ Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society. Royal Marriages Act, 1772. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "British royal marries Maori builder". The Sydney Morning Herald Online. 2 August 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  14. ↑ "Kensington Palace Hosts Royal Wedding". Brandon Sun. 1 August 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
  15. ↑ Walker, Tim (30 June 2010). "Duke and Duchess of Gloucester celebrate birth of their first granddaughter". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  16. ↑ "Kiwi royal named for king of forest". The New Zealand Herald. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  17. ↑ Rayner, Gordon; Prince, Rosa (4 May 2015). "How Princess Charlotte's Birth Has Changed the House of Windsor Family Tree". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "First Family". The Birtle Eye Witness. 17 July 1985. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
  19. ↑ Royalty and statesmen
  20. ↑ "'Denny and Gazza' on Guest List for Abbey". New Zealand Herald. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via HighBeam Research. (Subscription required (help)).
Lady Davina Lewis
Born: 19 November 1977
Lines of succession
Preceded by
Lady Cosima Windsor		 Line of succession to the British throne
granddaughter of Henry, son of George V		 Succeeded by
Senna Lewis

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