Who is Lady Davina Windsor? And how was the royal involved with a Maori sheep shearer?

With so much attention on close royals and dignitaries from around the world, it was easy to miss the discreet figure of Lady Davina Windsor stepping into Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral.

As the eldest daughter of the late Queen’s first cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, and great-granddaughter of George V, Lady Davina is closely related to today’s leading royals. When she was born, she was tenth in line to the throne.

However, in contrast to high-profile cousins ​​such as Lady Amelia Windsor, Davina has followed a more private path in life.

Indeed, her romance with future husband, New Zealand-born sheep shearer Gary Lewis, was kept under wraps for several years before they finally tied the knot in 2004.

Lady Davina Windsor pictured side by side with new husband Gary Lewis outside the chapel at Kensington Palace in July 2004

Lady Davina models a denim skirt and jacket during a fashion event at St George’s at Ascot in 1990

They first met in Bali in 2000 when Lady Davina, now 45, was on holiday.

She was on holiday after recently graduating from the University of the West of England while Gary, now 53, was on a surfing trip.

Mr Lewis comes from Gisborne in the North Island of New Zealand.

His father, Larry, was a farmer and champion sheep shearer in New Zealand in the 1980s, and his mother, Viki Carr, previously worked as a maid.

Davina and Gary moved in together, settling in a working-class suburb of Auckland before eventually moving to England.

A great-granddaughter of George V, Lady Davina married Gary in 2004 in the private chapel at Kensington Palace – which had been Lady Davina’s childhood home.

Gary became the first person of Maori descent to marry into the royal family.

The ceremony took place in the private chapel of Kensington Palace, Lady Davina’s childhood home.

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 invited.

The pair opted for a low-key celebration at Kensington Palace, her childhood home

Gary Lewis carries his daughter Senna as he and Lady Davina attend the Gatcombe Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park in March 2012

The couple attend a national service of thanksgiving to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday at St Paul’s Cathedral in June 2016

Princess Anne’s ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips was also among the guests – as were 36 of Mr Lewis’s family who had made the trip from New Zealand.

The bride wore a simple satin dress with a sweetheart neckline and lace sleeves, and went against royal tradition by refusing to wear a tiara, opting instead to weave flowers into her hair.

In a nod to her new role as stepmother, her stepson Ari, now 31, was chosen to do a reading.

In June 2010, Davina gave birth to a daughter, Senna Kowhai. Two years later, they had a son, Tane Mahuta.

The marriage eventually ran into trouble, however, and after 14 years together, the pair divorced in 2018, with friends citing ‘cultural differences’ as one of the reasons.

A friend told the Daily Mail: “It’s so sad, but their differences were too big in the end.”

Lady Davina and her daughter Senna Kowhai Lewis at Westminster Abbey ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral on 19 September 2022

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Brigitte, Duchess of Gloucester leaving St Mary’s Hospital in London with their daughter Lady Davina Windsor in November 1977

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester with their children, the Earl Of Ulster, Lady Davina Windsor and Lady Rose Windsor at their Barnwell Manor, Northamptonshire home in 1989

Born on November 19, 1977, Lady Davina was 10th in line to the throne at the time of her birth, but was quickly overtaken by the Queen’s grandchildren, putting her now in 35th place.

She grew up in a flat in Kensington Palace and went to Kensington Preparatory School in Notting Hill, followed by boarding school at the £35,000-a-year St George’s School, Ascot.

Lady Davina then took a degree in media studies at the University of the West of England.