| Lord Downpatrick | |
| Lord Downpatrick | |
| Birth Name: | Edward Edmund Maximilian George Windsor |
| Birth Date: | 2 December 1988 |
| Birth Place: | London, England |
| Family: | House of Windsor |
| Father: | George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews |
| Mother: | Sylvana Tomaselli |
| Occupation: | Travel consultant, fashion designer |
Edward Edmund Maximilian George Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (born 2 December 1988), known professionally as Eddy Downpatrick, is a British travel consultant, fashion designer, former financial analyst and relative of the British royal family.[1] [2]
As second-in-line to the Dukedom of Kent, he uses one of his grandfather's subsidiary titles, Baron Downpatrick, by courtesy. A second cousin once removed of Charles III, Downpatrick is the most senior member of the House of Windsor to be excluded from the line of succession to the British throne due to his Roman Catholic faith.[3]
Lord Downpatrick was born on 2 December 1988 at St Mary's Hospital, London, and grew up in Cambridge.[4] 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, by birth member of the Austrian Tomaselli family, is a Canadian born historian of Austro-Italian and French extraction.[5] Diana, Princess of Wales, was Downpatrick's godmother, but she died before he got to know her well.
Downpatrick was educated at Eton College and matriculated at Keble College, Oxford, where he studied modern languages with a specialisation in French and German. He wanted to join the British Army after the university, but had not recovered from rugby injuries.
Downpatrick is close to his third cousin Princess Beatrice and to his younger sisters Lady Marina and Lady Amelia Windsor, a fashion model. His great-grandmother Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, was the British royal family's fashion icon in the post-war era.
Downpatrick first had the idea to launch a fashion brand while hiking in Scotland in 2009, but decided to focus on his studies and career as a financial analyst at JP Morgan.[6] [7]
Downpatrick left JP Morgan and began working as a fashion designer in 2016. In 2017, he co-founded the fashion label FIDIR with Justine Dalby, where he currently serves as the creative director.[4] [8] [9] The brand specialises in outdoor wear and accessories, providing products such as handbags, wallets, sweatshirts, wash bags, and T-shirts.[10] [11] [12] His designs are inspired by the Scottish Highlands.[13] [14] [15]
In 2021, Downpatrick founded Aristeia Travel, a company that organises tours and expeditions to various destinations worldwide, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.[16] The company also arranges sporting adventures such as heliskiing and whale watching.[7]
Downpatrick is also a partner at Wheeler-Windsor Expeditions, along with California native Jack Wheeler, offering curated expeditions to clients.[1]
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 Catholic Church. He was therefore barred from the line of succession to the British throne according to the Act of Settlement 1701. As a second cousin once removed of King Charles III, Downpatrick is the most senior person excluded from the line of succession for being a Catholic.[17]
, he would have been 43rd in line.[18] Downpatrick remains second in the line of succession, after his father, to the Dukedom of Kent.[19] [20]