Marina Windsor on sharing ecological passion with cousin Princess Eugenie, her close bond with ‘best friend’ and sister Amelia Windosr, and her ‘amazing’ grandfather, Duke of Kent – ​​exclusive

She’s using her public platform and influence to highlight the need to protect our oceans, but Princess Eugenie — who dresses her adorable young sons August and Ernest in whale-themed outfits — isn’t the only royal paving the way for ocean conservation sea.

Equally committed to the cause is Marina Windsor, granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, first cousin of Eugenie’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

And as she sits down for an exclusive interview and photo shoot with HELLO! at Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair, the 31-year-old events manager talks about how she shares the same green credentials as her royal relative.

Her work with Blue Marine Foundation

“Eugenie is a great ambassador and does an incredible amount of work for the Blue Marine Foundation,” she says, referring to the ocean conservation charity the Princess joined three years ago.

Founded in 2010, Blue Marine Foundation has a simple but critical vision: to restore ocean health, protect vital marine habitats and tackle overfishing – one of the world’s worst environmental problems. Among the other high-profile ambassadors are Sienna Miller, Stephen Fry, sisters Poppy and Cara Delevingne, and Marina’s younger sibling, 28-year-old Lady Amelia Windsor.

Not only are the environmentally conscious sisters great supporters of Blue Marine Foundation, they both share the same passion for fashion and sustainable clothing.

“We are best friends and have a very good bond,” says Marina.

Amelia has also said this before HELLO! how “very proud” she is of her big sister and her charity role.

“She’s always full of great stories and excited to tell me what’s going on,” she said.

A love for sustainable fashion

While Amelia is known for her love of ethical fashion and has modeled for top fashion houses like Chanel, Dior, Bulgari and Armani, Marina is also “100 percent” committed to sustainable fashion.

Browsing a rack of clothes in Brown’s Hotel’s vibrant Sir Paul Smith suite, she chooses pieces from a plethora of sustainable labels, immediately drawn to stylish pieces from Reformation, Stine Goya, Mondo Corsini and Needle & Thread.

Marina also brought her trusty and well-worn boots, designed by her friend Penelope Chilvers, a brand famously endorsed by the Princess of Wales.

Despite previously saying she had no plans to build a modeling career, having modeled outfits by the late couturier Hardy Amies at the age of 18, Marina looks effortlessly chic in our exclusive shoot, a natural in front of the camera and beaming from ear to face ear.

About her green style, she says: “Fast fashion is incredibly destructive to our planet. I try to shop at charity shops, vintage stores, sustainable brands, and often borrow clothes from friends. That’s a pretty good way to do it. That’s what my friends and I are trying to do a lot more. And keep things longer and buy less stuff, less consumerism where possible.”

She even borrows vintage pieces from her mother, Canadian historian Dr. Sylvana Tomaselli.

“I think the generation above us has maintained their clothes so well. I try to do the same. My mother still has clothes from her twenties in perfect condition. I’m very lucky because she lends me things very generously. She has a great sense of style.”

Passion for travel

On her mother’s side, Marina has Canadian, Austrian, French and Italian roots. She was also fortunate to spend part of her university studies in Modern Languages ​​abroad, in France and Brazil.

It was her experience swimming in bioluminescent plankton and enjoying the amazing nature of the Costa Verde, close to Rio de Janeiro, that nurtured her love for the ocean.

“Those were some beautiful moments. I wish I could do it all over again,” she says. ‘It’s such a privilege to travel and see beautiful parts of the world and see how amazing this planet is. And I think it encourages you even more to want to do something to protect people, animals and nature. the nature that exists on it.”

Although she would love to return to Brazil, perhaps for COP 30 next year, Marina has an ever-evolving bucket list to check off. “The bucket list is always changing,” she laughs. “I would love to go to Mongolia, to Iceland to see the Icelandic ponies, to Indonesia and to the Philippines. We have some fantastic projects around the world and so I learn about different places I would like to visit through that is much.”

Despite a passion for travel, Marina is a homebody through and through. London is her home for now.

“For now, I’m grateful for and enjoying the gift of being close to friends and family. But I’ve loved living abroad and I think you can get so much out of it if you get the chance, so it Would be great to do that again one day.”

Her ‘great’ grandfather

At the age of 88, her grandfather is still involved with more than 140 charities and organisations, and continues to undertake numerous engagements each year, both in the UK and the Commonwealth.

Earlier this month he was cheered and cheered by troops as he attended his final Black Sunday parade as colonel of the Scots Guards, handing over the role to the Duke of Edinburgh after 50 years of service.

“I love my grandpa,” laughs Marina. “He’s a great man and he definitely inspired me.”

Philanthropy in the Royal Family

This sense of duty and service runs through the royal family, so it’s no wonder that charity work and philanthropy are part of Marina’s DNA, especially a commitment to conservation.

She follows in the green footsteps of previous generations, from the late Queen who initiated the planting of more than three million trees as part of her legacy, to King Charles, widely regarded as a pioneer of his time for his early warnings about climate change. – a message that Marina very much repeats.

The future of our planet

Before working at Blue Marine Foundation, she spent more than two years at Big Give, a non-profit website that matches donors with charities.

For a week until Thursday April 25, Big Give will match donations to charities participating in their Green Match Fund, of which Marina’s employer is one. The aim is to raise £6 million for green charities in just one week.

“Big Give is the most incredible charity,” she says. “It was such an honor to work there. They are an incredible team and they support so many great charities and enable them to do the work they do. I couldn’t sing their praises more.

“Blue Marine Foundation is a great, inspiring and energetic organization. I had been following them from a distance for a while; when I was at Big Give, they participated in the Green Match Fund campaigns, so I had to get to know them a little better. and always admired the work they did. They led a number of very successful campaigns to change overfishing policies and protect the ocean in so many different ways.

“And they really align with my values, because I’m very passionate about everything to do with the environment and the planet. I always wanted to work somewhere that was really focused on helping to alleviate the climate crisis in some way way. I’ve learned so much since I was there and I’m surrounded by amazing marine biologists and brilliant people who protect the ocean.”

“I think we probably all want to help in our own way, don’t we?” she muses. “Right now we are in a climate emergency, and it is quite urgent to try to help protect the planet, our ocean and each other, if we want a planet for our future generations to live on. We must take serious action into account.”

To donate and have your donation matched, search for Blue Marine Foundation at biggive.org by April 25 at noon.

Photos by Liz McAulay

Styling by Michelle Kelly at Carol Hayes

Hair and makeup by Gia Mills

Shot in the Sir Paul Smith Suite, Brown’s Hotel, London