Book excerpt: His Royal Highness Prince Edward The Duke of Kent KG GCMG GCVO ADC(P), first cousin to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, has devoted his life to the service of his country. Even before he served twenty-one years as a regular soldier in the British Army, he was introduced to this life of service by his widowed mother, HRH Princess Marina, The Duchess of Kent, during an extensive tour of the Far East at the time of his seventeenth birthday.His interest in modern technology, especially computing and engineering, in issues of health, fitness and social welfare, and in the development of the intellect, has seen him become the patron, president or active member of more than one hundred charities and social organisations. His military service, and deep interest in military history, sees him making a particularly important contribution to many military-related organisations - the chief of which must be the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.At the time of his eightieth birthday on October 9, 2015, Prince Edward remains one of the busiest members of the royal family. This book is offered as a tribute to his life of service, and to the myriad organisations, large and small, local, national and international, that make up the fabric of the United Kingdom in the twenty-first century.