The sad announcement of the death of the man primarily referred to as "the Queen's cousin" may leave some people wondering: who was Lord Lichfield and in what way was he related to the royals?

Patrick Lichfield was probably best known as a cousin of the Queen and the photographer who took the portraits for the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981. However, there was more to Patrick Lichfield than his proximity to the royal family. Thomas Patrick John Anson, 5^th Earl of Lichfield, was born on the 25^th of April 1939. His parents were William, Viscount Anson and Princess Georg of Denmark, the former Anne Bowes-Lyon, daughter of John Bowes-Lyon, the late Queen Mother's brother. Although he bore the title of the Earl of Lichfield, when he was working he preferred to be called plain 'Patrick'.

Educated at Harrow and Sandhurst, he served as a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards before becoming a photographer. Early in his career, he found an increasing demand for editorial work in national newspapers and Life and Queen Magazine. His biggest break came when the legendary Diana Vreeland gave him a 5-year contract with Vogue magazine. He worked in numerous advertising campaigns including, from 1978, the prestigious Unipart calendar.

He took up photography at the age of six, taking his first picture of the Queen when he was playing in a cricket match against Eton. These pictures are unlikely to be published as, shortly after he took those photos, his camera was confiscated by the headmaster. Undeterred, his first official royal sitting was with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in 1967, thus beginning a working relationship with the royal family that continued until not long before his unexpected death.

His royal portfolio ranged from the 1971 group photograph of 26 members of the royal family, the Silver Wedding portrait of the Queen and Prince Philip, to an intimate photograph of Prince Charles with his young cousin Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones at Balmoral. His most recent commission was a portrait of the Queen for her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

He published numerous books on photography and his work has been exhibited worldwide. He was awarded Fellowships from the British Institute of Professional Photographers and The Royal Photographic Society.

Patrick Lichfield married Lady Leonora Grosvenor (eldest daughter of the 5^th Duke of Westminster) in 1975 and they were divorced in 1986. The marriage produced three children, Lady Rose (born 1976), Thomas, Viscount Anson (born 1978), and Lady Eloise (born 1981).

It was announced on the afternoon of Thursday 10th November 2005 that this great name in royal photography had suffered a stroke whilst visiting friends. He was duly taken to the Stroke Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford but, surrounded by his family, died at 4am the following morning.

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Name: ssen_royal

Comment: Lord Lichfield was actually the Queen's first cousin first removed, as son of her first cousin (Anne Bowes-Lyon's father and the late Queen Mother were full siblings). His mother Anne became a princess of Denmark herself in her second marriage, as you have mentioned. Lord Lichfield was associated, after his divorce, with Lady Annunziata Asquith, eldest daughter of the 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith (himself grandson of H.H. Asquith, the first Earl). The couple did not marry, but appeared publicly together.