BEING connected to the royal family means your life is often lived in the spotlight.

However, one of their relatives has been dubbed one of the UK’s “hottest & most eligible bachelors”, despite largely being out of the public eye.

Albert Windsor turned 18 last month and has been crowned top of Tatler‘s “hottest young eligibles” this week.

He joined the likes of Lady Araminta Spencer-Churchill, a Bhutanese prince, and even Rod Stewart‘s son Alastair.

Dubbed a “dashing royal” and the “catch of the season”, Albert will one day inherit the Duke of Kent title – which currently comes with an estate worth an estimated £8million.

His royal ties are through his grandfather, Prince Edward – the current Duke of Kent – who was a cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

And it was at the recent funeral of his grandmother, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, that Albert made his “royal debut”, according to the society magazine.

Albert was seen along senior working royals, including King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate at the September 15 memorial and piqued the interest of the magazine.

Prince Harry was absent from the Westminster Cathedral funeral, having returned to the US after a UK visit, but is said to have privately visited the Duke of Kent in London to offer his condolences in person.

While “eligible Albert” grew up largely out of the limelight in Rome – with younger siblings Leopold, 16, and Louis, 11 – it is speculated he could follow in his father’s footsteps in studying Theology at Oxford.

He is expected to rub shoulders with society’s elite later this month at the Le Bal in Paris, a debutante and fashion ball.

While exciting social occasions await, there has also been drama at home, with reports that his parents – Lord Nicholas, 43 and British-born Croatian noble Paola Louise Marcia Doimi de Lupis – have split after 19 years together.

HISTORIC BIRTH

When Albert Windsor arrived at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in 2007, the newborn was about to make royal history.

He became the first royal child to be baptised a Catholic since 1688, breaking more than three centuries of tradition.

His historic baptism followed in the footsteps of his grandmother, the late Duchess of Kent, who famously converted to Catholicism in 1994.

In previous generations, such a move would once have sparked a royal crisis – even exile, but times had changed.

The late Queen gave her blessing, and the Duchess described her decision as a deeply personal act of faith.

Albert’s father, Lord Nicholas Windsor, made the same decision in 2001, knowing full well what it would cost him: his place in the line of succession.

A motion from Parliament read at the time of Albert’s birth: “This House extends its warmest congratulations on the occasion of the baptism of Albert Louis Phillip Edward Windsor as a Catholic.

“The first member of the Royal family to be baptised a Catholic since 1688 and the so-called Glorious Revolution when James II was chased away from his Crown and country on account of the birth and baptism of his son.”

Similarly to his father, Albert and his younger brothers have also been removed from the line of succession because they are Roman Catholic due to the Act of Settlement 1701, which disqualifies Catholics from the British throne.

If they were Church of England, they would be 37th, 38th and 39th respectively.

However, they still remain in the line of succession to the Dukedom of Kent.

PUBLIC OUTINGS

We’ve seen the three brothers on a few occasions during their childhood, including at a number of high profile weddings.

These include the nuptials of Lady Gabriella Windsor and her late husband Thomas Kingston.

Albert and Leopold were also in attendance at the religious ceremony of Georg Friedrich Ferdinand Prince of Prussia to Princess Sophie of Prussia in 2011.

Meanwhile, Albert joined his mother for King Charles‘ 60th birthday lunch in 2008.

He’s even been spotted on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for high profile events such as Trooping the Colour.

However, King Charles has since limited the number of extended members being present there as part of his slimmed down monarchy.

DAD’S REBELLIOUS PAST

Albert’s parents, Lord Nicholas Windsor and Donna, are reportedly separatedCredit: Eligo International
Lord Nicholas Windsor, the youngest son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, was 11 years old when served as a page boy at Charles and Diana’s royal wedding in 1981.

A godson of the now-King Charles, Lord Nicholas was a royal rebel, and at 18 he was searched by police in St James’s Park, not far from Buckingham Palace, and cautioned for possessing cannabis.

He then dropped out of his theology degree at Oxford University to go trekking in Africa, and battled an eating disorder and depression.

Later in life he converted to Catholicism and made history by being the first member of the Royal Family to marry at the Vatican when he exchanged vows with Paola in 2006.

Last month, it was revealed by the Daily Mail that Paola and Lord Nicholas had separated – after she did not attend the Duchess of Kent’s funeral.

A friend told the paper: “It’s very sad, but the couple have been separated for some time.

“They no longer attend family events together. Both are very conservative and dislike divorce, so apparently they will never actually get divorced.”