Prince Nicholas Galitzine: remembering a Holyport community figure and devoted father

A devoted father and former Holyport parish councillor, who was also a prince descended from Lithuanian Royalty, has been remembered for his ‘kind heart’ and ‘much-loved character’.

A memorial service to commemorate the life of Prince Nicholas ‘Nick’ Galitzine, attended by around 125 people, was held at St Michael’s Church in Bray on Friday last week.

Nicholas lived in the Bourne End and Holyport areas for much of his life. He passed away in Guernsey on May 18, aged 80.

“Dad had a very full life, a wonderful life,” said Nicholas’ son James Galitzine, 45.

“He was very kind-hearted and generous - and he was a much-loved character with a great sense of humour.

“He had a real charisma. He had a kind of twinkle in his eye that you could not fail to miss if you met him – he made a great impression on people.”

The Galitzine history can be traced back hundreds of years to Lithuanian Royalty, and the family also held powerful positions in Russia.

The family escaped Russia in 1919 during the Bolshevik Revolution – a period of enormous social and political upheaval which saw the country’s monarchy abolished.

Refuge for the Galitzine family was found in the UK.

“It’s easy to think of royalty and the titles, great wealth, but really that period was very difficult,” James said.

“It [the Galitzine story] is a story of survival, hope and determination – to come to a new country and rebuild their lives.”

He added: “Dad grew up in Britain, he was born in 1944, but the family was certainly instructed by our great grandparents to fully embrace Britain and be more British than the British.

“Really, that was a brief my father very much took on board.”

During Nicholas’ teenage years and early twenties, he and his family lived in Bourne End in Abbotsbrook Estate.

He helped restore the then-derelict Oakley Court in the early 1970s, transforming it to become Oakley Court Hotel where the family lived until settling in Holyport.

The Galitzines then lived in Paley Street until 2006.

James said: “He really loved being part of the community, he would always get involved with the scouts, the parish council – I think he did it for a couple of years.

“He was always there for the Holyport Fair – I think he used to organise and run the coconut shy.

“He was a real sportsman and was very much a part of local sports clubs and teams – Holyport Cricket Club, for example – he was a good player.”

Asked for his favourite memories of Nicholas, James said: “There are too many, he was a very dedicated father, we were lucky that we spent a lot of time together.

“He was just always there, and I think that’s really what’s important.”

Nicholas is survived by his three children Alex, James and Tanya.