A longstanding connection to the club
The King's cousin used a walking aid during the tour. His visit continued a connection with the Royal Automobile Club that stretches back decades and includes his father's service as president.
Michael took over the presidency in 1979 from Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, whose tenure began in 1943. Before Mountbatten, Prince Michael's father, Prince George, Duke of Kent, held the position from 1942 to 1943.
Located near Epsom in Surrey, Woodcote Park is the club's countryside clubhouse, with accommodations, restaurants and sports facilities that include two 18-hole golf courses. The organization began on August 10, 1897, under the name Automobile Club of Great Britain. It established the roadside assistance business now called RAC Limited, but no longer owns that service.
Motoring interests on and off the track
Michael's involvement in motorsport has included competing as well as holding patronages. Driving an Austin Maxi in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally, he and his crew did not finish the event.
He also competed in the 1971 FIBT World Bobsleigh Championships, where a crash ended his participation, and was named an official non-traveling reserve for the 1972 Winter Olympics.
The Prince Michael Road Safety Award, established in 1987, recognizes people and organizations working to improve road safety. Its scope initially covered Great Britain and later expanded worldwide.
His more recent motoring appearances include the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in September 2026, a month before the Woodcote Park visit. He was photographed there in a wheelchair. He has also attended Silverstone regularly over the years and presented Sir Lewis Hamilton with the winner's trophy at the circuit in 2015.
Recent appearances and a family tribute
Public outings have become less frequent for Michael in recent months, following his withdrawal from working duties in 2022. He nevertheless presented the Anglo-Hellenic League's Runciman Award at King's College London in June. On July 12, his son, Lord Frederick Windsor, assisted him as they attended the Men's Singles Final at Wimbledon’s All England Club.
In September, Michael accompanied his older brother, the Duke of Kent, to London's Sinfonia Smith Square for a concert honoring the late Duchess of Kent. She died in September 2025, and her charity, Future Talent, organized the tribute.
Alexander Armstrong hosted the evening, which brought together more than 40 young musicians, including the Future Talent Orchestra. The program included Destiny's Journey, a work that Future Talent alumnus Sam Nutter composed specifically in the Duchess's honor.
The Duchess's three children, Lady Helen Taylor, the Earl of St Andrews and Lord Nicholas Windsor, also attended.
Family and succession
Michael's father, Prince George, Duke of Kent, was a younger brother of both King Edward VIII and King George VI. George VI was the father of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Michael lost his place in the succession under the Act of Settlement 1701 after marrying Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, a Catholic, in 1978. The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 restored his eligibility when it took effect on March 26, 2015. As of 2026, he is 54th in line to the throne.
