The Duke of Kent is mourning the loss of his Private Secretary, Nicholas Piers Turnbull, who died last month at the age of 63, as he celebrates his birthday today.
Turnbull died on September 16, according to The Times. The cause of his death has not been disclosed. He was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order by the King posthumously on September 14, two days before his death. The honour is awarded for distinguished personal service to the Royal Family. He joined the royal household in 2019.
Personal background
According to the Peerage News blog, Turnbull was born in 1962 to John Earle Turnbull and his wife, the former Mary K Heath. He married Arabella Maroussia Phillimore in 2006, and they share two sons, Alexander Tristan, born in 2008, and Crispin Finlay John, born in 2012.
A difficult month for the duke
September was already a difficult month for the duke, who led tributes at a memorial concert honouring his late wife, Duchess Katharine, in London. According to The Telegraph, he was joined by his younger brother Prince Michael, 84, at the concert in Sinfonia Smith Square. Other royals in attendance included the duke and duchess’s three children: Lady Helen Taylor, the Earl of St Andrews, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
The Duke of Kent is grieving a loss just over a year after his wife, the Duchess of Kent, died in 2025. Prince Edward, who is celebrating his birthday today, will undoubtedly be navigating a difficult period as he marks the occasion without his long-serving aide.
