Britain's 'hottest young royal' has completed the Southampton Marathon to raise funds for a mental health charity established by a veteran who served alongside Princes William and Harry. Alexander Ogilvy, 29, who is 60th in line to the throne and once dubbed 'Britain's most eligible bachelor', participated in the annual race on May 3 to support Head Up.
Charity Founded by Veteran Paul Minter
The charity, Head Up, was founded in 2021 by former Household Cavalry soldier Paul Minter, who served in the same regiment as Princes William and Harry during their military careers. Paul joined the Blues and Royals at age 17 in 2003 and served in D Squadron with the Prince of Wales, later in the same regiment as the Duke of Sussex. In 2022, the former staff sergeant completed a 5,000-mile coastal run around the UK, raising £400,000 for the charity.
Alexander's Fundraising Effort
Alexander, who has been commissioned into the Blues and Royals, pledged to support Paul's work by running the Southampton Marathon. On Instagram, he shared a picture of himself running with the caption: 'Running the Southampton marathon today to raise money for Head Up. They take soldiers on retreats to help them manage their mental health for life.' He also provided a link to a fundraising page, asking followers to 'consider sending a few £ their way'.
Royal Background and Personal Life
Alexander is the grandson of Queen Elizabeth's beloved cousin, Princess Alexandra, and the son of James Ogilvy and wife Julia. Born in Edinburgh in 1996, he has maintained a low-key life despite his royal status, keeping his Instagram account private. However, he gained attention when videos of him arriving at Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022 went viral on TikTok. Described as having model good looks and impressive academic credentials, Alexander is reportedly single. He graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst last August and may ride in next year's Trooping the Colour parade. Known for his wit, he once described himself as 'fraudulent, insecure, man' and joked that one of his hobbies is 'practicing a British accent'.
Princes' Mental Health Advocacy
Both Princes William and Harry have been open about supporting mental health. In 2016, they launched the Heads Together campaign with Kate, now Princess of Wales, to end stigma. In 2019, Meghan Markle joined them for Public Health England's Every Mind Matters campaign. Harry later founded the Invictus Games for wounded service personnel and in 2020 stressed the need for mandatory mental health training in the military. William has spoken about understanding his emotions and supported families bereaved by suicide in the Armed Forces community.
