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

With so much attention on the immediate members of the Royal Family and dignitaries from around the world it was easy to miss the discreet figure of Lady Davina Windsor stepping the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

As the eldest daughter of the late Queen’s first cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, and a 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.

Yet in contrast with high profile cousins such as Lady Amelia Windsor, Davina has followed a more private path through life.

Indeed, her romance with eventual husband,  New Zealand-born sheep shearer Gary Lewis remained firmly under wraps for a number of years before they eventually married in 2004.

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

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

She was relaxing having recently graduated from the University of the West of England while Gary, now 53, was on a surfing trip.

Mr Lewis comes from Gisborne on New Zealand’s North Island.

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 tied the knot with Gary in 2004 in the private chapel at Kensington Palace – which had been Lady Davina’s childhood home.

Gary became making him the first person of Maori descent to marry into the Royal Family.

The ceremony took place at 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 journey from New Zealand.

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

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

In June 2010, Davina gave birth to a daughter, Senna Kowhai. The, two years later, they welcomed 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 causes.

A friend told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s very sad, but their differences were just too great in the end.’

Lady Davina and her daughter Senna Kowhai Lewis at Westminster Abbey ahead of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 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 home Barnwell Manor, Northamptonshire in 1989

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

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

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