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Lady Davina Windsor

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"Gary Christie Lewis" redirects here. Not to be confused with Lewis Christie or Gary Christie.
Lady Davina Windsor
Born (1977-11-19) 19 November 1977 (age 46)
St Mary's Hospital, London, England
Alma materUniversity of the West of England
Spouse
Gary Lewis
​
​
(m. 2004; div. 2018)​
Children2
Parents
FamilyHouse of Windsor

Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Windsor (born 19 November 1977) is a member of the British royal family, and is the elder daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.[1][2] She is 35th in the line of succession to the British throne as of May 2023. She was known as Lady Davina Lewis between 2004 and 2018, during her marriage to Gary Lewis.

Early life and education

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Davina was born at St Mary's Hospital, London.[3] She was baptised on 19 February 1978 at Barnwell Parish Church, close to the family home, Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire. Her godparents are Captain Mark Phillips, the Duke of Buccleuch, Elisabeth, Lady Camoys, Susan Wigley, Roger Wellesley Smith and Caroline, Baroness Rosenørn-Lehn.[4] Lady Davina grew up in Kensington Palace.[5] She 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

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

Lewis is also the first person of known Māori descent to marry a member of the royal family, or to marry the daughter of a British prince.[10] As she is a legitimate descendant in the male line of George V and in line 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 the marriage.[11] The wedding took place at the private chapel of Kensington Palace, Lady Davina's childhood home.[12] 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.[13] The couple divorced in 2018.[14]

Davina and her former 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] Lady Davina was also stepmother to Lewis's son from a previous relationship, Ari (born 1992).[17]

Until 26 March 2015, Tāne was ahead of Senna in the line of succession to the British throne since sons had priority over daughters based on tradition and common law. 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,[18][19][20] 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 respectively.[21]

Lady Davina does not carry out official functions but does attend family events including royal weddings.[22] 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.[23] She and her then husband also attended Prince William's wedding in 2011.[24]

References

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  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.
  3. ^ "Duchess Leaves With Baby". Corsicana Daily Sun. 27 November 1977. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Baptismal Day". Medina County Gazette. 20 February 1978. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ Jackson, Lorne (1 August 2004). "Lady Davina Marries a Sheep Shearer". Sunday Mercury. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
  6. ^ a b c 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. ^ "Exclusive: The Royal and the Sheep-Shearer". The Mirror. 3 April 2004. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
  8. ^ "Open Shearing – Second shear British Breed, Sheep". Golden Shears – Masterton, New Zealand. Shearing World. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  9. ^ Thomson, Ainsley (6 April 2004). "Gazza unfazed by new royal in-laws". National News. APN Holdings NZ – New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  10. ^ "Lady Davina quits London for life in Auckland with Māori husband". Hello!. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  11. ^ Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society. Royal Marriages Act, 1772. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  12. ^ "British royal marries Maori builder". The Sydney Morning Herald Online. 2 August 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Kensington Palace Hosts Royal Wedding". Brandon Sun. 1 August 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ Ward, Fiona (16 March 2019). "Buckingham Palace confirm divorce of Lady Davina Windsor and Gary Lewis after 14 years of marriage". Hello!. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  15. ^ Walker, Tim (30 June 2010). "Duke and Duchess of Gloucester celebrate birth of their first granddaughter". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  16. ^ "Kiwi royal named for king of forest". The New Zealand Herald. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  17. ^ "Lady Davina quits London for life in Auckland with Māori husband". Hello Online. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  18. ^ Males born after 28 October 2011 no longer precede their elder sisters in the line of succession.
  19. ^ "Succession to the Crown Act", Acts of the United Kingdom Parliament, vol. 2013, no. 20, Section 1, 2013, retrieved 7 April 2014, In determining the succession to the Crown, the gender of a person born after 28 October 2011 does not give that person, or that person's descendants, precedence over any other person (whenever born).
  20. ^ The Cabinet Office (13 December 2012), Succession to the Crown Bill--Explanatory Notes., Para. 26, retrieved 7 April 2014
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "First Family". The Birtle Eye Witness. 17 July 1985. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ Royalty and statesmen
  24. ^ "'Denny and Gazza' on Guest List for Abbey". New Zealand Herald. 21 April 2011. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
Lady Davina Windsor
Born: 19 November 1977
Lines of succession
Preceded by
Lady Cosima Windsor
 Line of succession to the British throne
granddaughter of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
great-granddaughter of George V 		Succeeded by
Senna Lewis


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