Richard ended his architectural career in 1972, after the death of his elder brother
Prince William, who was killed in an air crash during a flying competition. Richard became
heir apparent to his father's dukedom and had to take on additional family obligations and royal duties on behalf of the Queen. He became Duke of Gloucester on his father's death on 10 June 1974. He has been a corporate member of the
Royal Institute of British Architects since 1972. and was a trustee of the
British Museum, deputy chairman of the
Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England and a commissioner of
English Heritage between 1998 and 2001. He has been patron of construction charity Construction Youth Trust for many years. With his background in architecture, the Duke of Gloucester takes interest in the work of the trust and visits their projects, in addition to giving his name to their long standing Duke of Gloucester Young Achiever's Scheme Awards. He is patron of the Architects Benevolent Society. The Duke is vice president of Lepra, a UK-based leprosy charity; as part of this role, he attends national and international events in support of the charity's work. He is royal patron of the
Society of Antiquaries of London (and elected
FSA) since 2001, royal patron of the UK branch of the charity
Habitat for Humanity, royal patron of the
St George's Society of New York, and president of
The London Society. A keen motorist, Richard passed the
Advanced Driving Test of the
Institute of Advanced Motorists, of which he was president for more than 32 years. On his appointment in 1971, it was recorded that the new president was "currently [driving] an
Austin 1300", reflecting the modest image with which he has always been identified. He stood down as president in January 2005. The Duke of Gloucester, accompanied by the Duchess, represented his cousin Elizabeth II at the
Seychelles independence ceremonies on 26 June 1976 and again at the
Solomon Islands independence celebrations on 7 July 1978. He served as a judge in
Prince Edward's charity television special
The Grand Knockout Tournament on 15 June 1987. On 10 April 2008, the Duke of Gloucester was officially installed as inaugural
Chancellor of the
University of Worcester during a ceremony at
Worcester Cathedral. In this role, he officiates at degree ceremonies and major events, as well as promoting the university overseas. The Duke carried out the first of these duties on 5 and 6 November 2008 at the Graduation Award Ceremonies. The Duke is a patron of the
Severn Valley Railway and the
Pestalozzi International Village Trust. He is patron of the
British Homeopathic Association. He shares a name with an earlier Duke of Gloucester,
Richard III, and has been patron of the
Richard III Society since 1980. He is a member of the international advisory board of the
Royal United Services Institute. During 2009, the Duke became patron of the
de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre in support of its bid to raise funds through private means and through a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding. Other patronages include: British Society of Soil Science, the
International Council on Monuments and Sites,
Action on Smoking and Health,
British Association of Friends of Museums, British Mexican Society,
St Bartholomew's Hospital, as well as numerous other organisations and charities. In July 2011, the Duke visited the
Isle of Man to meet with the representative of
Manx National Heritage and the Council of Cancer Charities. On 8 November 2011, he opened the new Law School Building at the
University of Hertfordshire on the de Havilland campus site of the former de Havilland Aircraft factory. On 19 March 2013, the Duke represented Elizabeth II at
the Vatican for the
inauguration of Pope Francis. On 11 March 2015, the Duke visited the
Royal School Dungannon in County Tyrone to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the school; presenting a commemorative plaque and raising an anniversary flag on the grounds. On 22 and 26 March 2015, the Duke represented the Queen at the ceremonies marking the
reburial and commemorations of
King Richard III in
Leicester Cathedral. Richard III had held the title Duke of Gloucester before his ascension to the English throne. In March 2018, the Duke travelled to
Malawi to attend the
Commonwealth Day celebrations, and visited projects related to health services, wildlife, and climate change. He missed the celebrations in March 2022 after testing positive for
COVID-19. On 14 September 2022, after the
death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September, the Duke joined her children, grandsons, nephew, and son-in-law, in walking in the state
cortege from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, for her lying in state. with
Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence following the
coronation on 6 May 2023 In 2023 the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended the
coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey, and (in common with other working members of the royal family) took part in the Coronation Procession following the service. ==Titles, styles, honours and arms==