Prince William, Harry Cousin Lady Marina Announces Engagement

Lady Marina Windsor, granddaughter of the Duke of Kent and third cousin to Prince William and Prince Harry, announced her engagement to Nico Macauley on June 8 via Instagram, sharing photos of her unconventional engagement ring featuring a black onyx stone. The couple, who have been together for two years, have maintained a relatively low public profile, with Macauley working as an account executive at a cloud security company and Marina as a philanthropic executive. Despite being formerly 25th in line to the British throne, Lady Marina lost her succession rights after converting to Catholicism in 2008, a change that remains despite amendments to succession laws. The engagement announcement coincided with the wedding anniversary of her grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, with congratulatory messages from family members and royal cousins following the news. Lady Marina resides at Kensington Palace with her grandparents and maintains close ties with them. Her choice of a non-traditional engagement ring reflects a break from royal customs, similar to past royal engagements that also featured unique gemstones rather than diamonds.