Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick

Edward Edmund Maximilian George Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (born 2 December 1988), known professionally as Eddy Downpatrick, is an English fashion designer and former financial analyst. He is the co-founder and creative director of the British fashion label FIDIR. As second-in-line to the Dukedom of Kent, he uses one of his grandfather's subsidiary titles, Baron Downpatrick, by courtesy. He is the most senior member of the British royal family to be excluded from the line of succession to the throne due to being a Roman Catholic.

Edward Windsor
Lord Downpatrick
Downpatrick in 2008
BornEdward Edmund Maximilian George Windsor
(1988-12-02) 2 December 1988
London, England
HouseWindsor
FatherGeorge Windsor, Earl of St Andrews
MotherSylvana Tomaselli
ReligionChurch of England (christened)
Catholic Church (confirmed)
OccupationFashion designer

Early life and family

Downpatrick was born on 2 December 1988 at St Mary's Hospital, London, and grew up in Cambridge.[1][2] He is the eldest child of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, son and heir apparent of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. Downpatrick's mother, Sylvana, Countess of St Andrews, is a Canadian historian of Austro-Italian and French extraction.[2][3] Diana, Princess of Wales, was Downpatrick's godmother,[4] but she died before he got to know her well.[2]

Downpatrick is close to his third cousin Princess Beatrice of York and to his younger sisters Lady Marina and Lady Amelia Windsor, a fashion model.[2] His great-grandmother Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, was the British royal family's fashion icon in the post-war era.[2]

Education and career

Downpatrick was educated at Eton College and matriculated at Keble College, Oxford, where he studied Modern Languages with a specialisation in French and German. At Oxford he was the president of the Bullingdon Club.[4] He wanted to join the British Army after the university, but had not recovered from rugby injuries.[2]

Downpatrick first had the idea to launch a fashion brand while hiking in Scotland in 2009,[2] but decided to first focus on his studies and career as a financial analyst at JP Morgan.[4]

Downpatrick left JP Morgan and began working as a fashion designer in 2016. He is a co-founder and the creative director of the fashion label FIDIR, which he launched with Justine Dalby in 2017.[1][5][6] The brand is a collection of outdoor-wear and accessories.[7] He designs handbags, wallets, sweatshirts, wash bags, and T-shirts.[2][8] His designs are inspired by the Scottish Highlands.[9][10][11]

Succession rights

In 2003, aged 15, following the example of his grandmother the Duchess of Kent and his uncle Lord Nicholas Windsor, Downpatrick, who was baptised in the Church of England, chose to be confirmed into the Roman Catholic Church. He was therefore barred from the line of succession to the British throne according to the Act of Settlement 1701. As a first cousin twice removed of Queen Elizabeth II, Downpatrick is the most senior person excluded from the line of succession for being a Roman Catholic. As of October 2020, he would have been 39th in line.[12] He remains second in the line of succession, after his father, to the Dukedom of Kent.[13][14]

In 2008, Downpatrick's sister Lady Marina followed his example and was confirmed in the Roman Catholic church.

References
  1. "Founder of FIDIR: Eddy Downpatrick – Twenty Mile Club". TwentyMileClub.
  2. "Eddy Downpatrick on the inspiration behind his menswear collection". Tatler. 11 October 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. Ronald Allison; Sarah Riddell (1991). The Royal Encyclopedia. Macmillan Press. p. 145. ISBN 9780333538104. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  4. "Hugh Grosvenor is the new Duke of Westminster – but who are Britain's other most eligible bachelor aristocrats?". The Telegraph. 12 August 2016.
  5. "Scotland's on the cusp of a fashion renaissance". Scottish Field. 12 April 2018.
  6. "Scottish fashion labels unite for stylish release". Scottish Field. 8 October 2018.
  7. "Our Story". FIDIR.
  8. Furness, Joseph (29 December 2017). "Glass talks to Edward Windsor – founder of menswear brand Fidir". The Glass Magazine.
  9. "Q&A Lord Eddy Downpatrick Founder of FIDIR". The Luxury Editor. 15 January 2018.
  10. "Interview with Eddy Downpatrick Founder of Fidir". Hidden Scotland. 11 May 2018.
  11. "The Scottish Inspired FIDIR Clothing". The Gentleman Select. 7 May 2018.
  12. "What is the British Monarchy's Line of Succession". Debrett's. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  13. "Lord Eddy Downpatrick: The royal family has been hiding this serious hottie". news.com.au. 15 December 2018.
  14. Chang, Mahalia (8 April 2018). "13 Hot Eligible Princes You Can Still Marry". ELLE.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.