It’s been a difficult few weeks for the royal family, and their misfortune is continuing, with the Daily Mail reporting that Princess Michael of Kent, who is married to Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin, Prince Michael, is reportedly seriously ill following a stroke.
The newspaper reported on Saturday: “Her Royal Highness suffered a stroke. Sadly, she is now bedridden.” HELLO! has reached out to Princess Michael’s rep for further information.
Despite reports of his wife’s condition, her 83-year-old husband, Prince Michael of Kent travelled to Birmingham on Friday to attend the opening of Crufts, with the Kennel Club delighted with his appearance.
“The Royal Kennel Club was honoured to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent to Crufts todam” they wrote on Instagram. His Royal Highness’s visit was a valued occasion, recognising the dedication and expertise that underpin the sport of dogs, and the ongoing commitment to canine health, welfare and responsible ownership.”
Princess Michael of Kent’s ill health
Her reported stroke is the latest in a run of bad luck for the 81-year-old, who suffered a fall on the stairs at her home in Kensington Palace in December 2024, leaving her with two broken wrists.
© WireImageThankfully, the royal was carrying an armful of overcoats at the time, which helped to break her fall, though several small bones were still damaged. That month, the princess attended King Charles’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace with her wrists encased in splints.
At the time, the royal told the Daily Mail: “So many things that you rely on being able to do, like cleaning your teeth, are impossible. I can type with one finger on a mobile, but I can’t use a laptop.”
She continued: “I am told that, after an accident like this, if you do one wrong movement on top of the unhealed bones, you are back where you started.”
Princess Michael was also unwell in 2020, after contracting COVID-19.
© Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty ImagesHer diagnosis was announced in November 2020, and she was not seen in public again until May 2021. According to The Sun, the royal was recovering at her home at Kensington Palace after falling ill with blood clots following her COVID-19 vaccinations, although it has not been confirmed whether they were side effects of the vaccine.
A difficult few years
As well as her accident on the stairs at home, 2024 was a difficult year for Princess Michael of Kent’s family, with February 2024 seeing the royal’s son-in-law, Thomas Kingston, take his own life at the age of 45. He died from a “catastrophic head injury” and a gun was found near his body at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.
© Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty ImagesThe princess spoke of her son-in-law’s death during an interview with Majesty Magazine, saying his marriage to her daughter Lady Gabriella was “very happy”.
“Tom was a lovely man, so kind and thoughtful,” she said. “They were very happy together. We often had them here with Freddie and Sophie and the girls for Sunday lunch. We never had an inkling anything was wrong,” she added.
Thomas’s widow, Lady Gabriella Kingston, echoed her mother’s comments, describing her marriage as “deeply loving and trusting” and said that he had never expressed any suicidal thoughts to her or others.
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