Some royals are made for the palace balcony. Alexander Charles Ogilvy seems perfectly happy watching from the crowd. He is the grandson of Princess Alexandra of Kent, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousin, and he celebrated his 30th birthday this past Thursday, November 12. He sits around 60th in the line of succession to the British throne, a distance that has let him build a life relatively free of official duties and media scrutiny.
He’d likely prefer to keep it that way. But William and Harry's third cousin keeps turning up in the headlines, mostly because he's pretty cute. It happened two years ago, when word got out that he was single again. Now he’s entered his thirties, with media outlets noting that he's still single.
From New York to Sandhurst
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for ClaIn September 2024, Alexander changed course. He walked away from corporate America, where he’d been working for a New York software company, and enrolled at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. It’s the same institution where Prince William and Prince Harry trained.
A year later, he finished the academy’s grueling course. His parents, his sister, and his grandmother, Princess Alexandra, were there to cheer him on at the graduation ceremony. He was then commissioned as an officer in the Blues and Royals, the historic cavalry regiment that belongs to the British Army’s Household Cavalry.
He has also used his public profile to back charities that support military veterans, taking part in athletic events like the Southampton Marathon.
The road to the regiment
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for CarAlexander is the son of James Ogilvy and Julia Rawlinson. He went to Merchiston Castle School, a prestigious school in Edinburgh. After graduating, he spent a gap year in Australia, where he coached rugby and mentored Indigenous students.
Next came Brown University in Rhode Island, where he studied computer science and economics, which were followed by his New York job. He also tried his hand at modeling, starring in a 2022 photo shoot for the brand Rowing Blazers. Through it all, he has stayed especially close to his sister, Flora Vesterberg.
A low-key royal with a high-society love life
© Getty ImagesDespite his pedigree, Alexander has always been discreet. “He doesn’t act like he’s royal at all,” said his ex-girlfriend Isabella Charlotta Poppius, per The Daily Mail. She’s also his last publicly known girlfriend, with the two dating from 2022 to 2024.
Poppius also comes from an aristocratic family and is a familiar face in high society. She’s a regular guest at events like the Royal Ascot and Wimbledon. Her circle of friends includes Princess Diana’s nieces, Lady Kitty Spencer and her twin sisters, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia. It also includes model and DJ Mary Charteris and Lady Clara Paget, the English former model and actress who appeared in films like Fast & Furious 6.
Before Isabella, Alexander dated Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy. At 30, he remains one of the most eligible bachelors in the extended royal family.
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