While many people are familiar with the main members of the royal family, members of the extended family may escape the public mind.
The late Queen had many royal cousins, who have also started their own families, and while they might still be present at certain royal events, they rarely carry out royal duties and live mostly civilian lives. One of those is Lady Helen Taylor, the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, who celebrates her milestone 60th birthday on Sunday.
Here's everything you need to know about Lady Helen, the first cousin once removed to the late Queen, from her teenage sweetheart to her children…
Early life
Born on 28 April 1964, Lady Helen is the second child of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. She has one older brother, George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, and a younger brother, Lord Nicholas Windsor. At the time of her birth, Helen was eighth in line to the throne, today she is 47th.
The youngster was educated at Eton End School in Datchet before heading to St Mary's School in Wantage. She was then educated at Gordonstoun in Scotland, which boasts several members of the royal family, including Prince Philip, King Charles, Prince Edward and Zara Tindall as alumni.
Lady Helen studied art at Gordonstoun and after graduating, she began working at Christie's auction house.
Career
Lady Helen found her footing in the art world and worked with art dealer Karsten Schubert between 1987 and 1991. During her time with Karsten, she was credited with discovering major artists including Rachel Whiteread, who won the Turner Prize in 2003, and Gary Hume. However, in 2008, she admitted that she turned down the offer of representing Damien Hirst.
Following her foray into the art world, Lady Helen became a brand ambassador for major fashion brands like Calvin Klein and Bulgari and was the face of Giorgio Armani between 2001 and 2018. Speaking about one of the benefits of her role, she once joked: "A lot of my friends are really jealous — but I lend them clothes, so not too jealous."
Lady Helen is also involved in the charity sector and is a patron of children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent. She is also a trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and is part of the advisory board of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
Relationship with Timothy Taylor
When she was 19, Lady Helen met art dealer Timothy Taylor and the pair struck up a relationship. The duo dated for nine years before marrying on 18 July 1992. Lady Helen wore a gown designed by Catherine Walker for her nuptials and the wedding was attended by senior royals including the late Queen and the then Prince Charles.
The happy couple have welcomed four children: Columbus (b. 1994), Cassius (b. 1996), Eloise (b. 2003) and Estella (b. 2004). All of her children directly follow Lady Helen when it comes to where they lie in the line of succession.
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