Duchess of Kent has died aged 92, Buckingham Palace announces
The Duchess of Kent has died at the age of 92, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, 92, aka the Duchess of Kent, was the wife of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin the Duke of Kent.
She was known for consoling losing Wimbledon finalists, notably a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993, and has presented trophies at the championships for many years.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Friday (5th September) that the duchess died peacefully on Thursday evening (4th September) at her Kensington Palace home surrounded by her family.
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The statement read: “It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.
“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family.
“The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”
The union flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half mast at midday as a mark of respect and a formal framed announcement will be posted on the railings of the royal residence shortly.
The duchess became the oldest member of the royal family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and has remained out of the public eye in recent years.
She made a rare appearance in October 2024 when she was pictured in a wheelchair for the first time.
Katharine was seen wrapped in a blue shawl as she joined her husband outside their home, Wren House, to watch bagpipers play Happy Birthday on the day he turned 89.
The duchess preferred to be known as Mrs Kent and dropped her HRH style in 2002 when she stepped back from royal duties to spend more than a decade teaching music in a state primary school in Hull.
She was also known for being devout follower of the Roman Catholic faith, and actually broke records when she became the first member of the royal family to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years, doing so in 1994.
The duchess will be expected to have a Catholic funeral, attended by senior royals including King Charles III and Queen Camilla, marking the first Catholic funeral service held for a member of the royal family in modern British history.
Katharine was well regarded for her charity work, having volunteered for the Samaritans, toured countries as a Unicef ambassador and, in 2004, founded the charity Future Talent.
Music was her passion and the organisation she dounded works to break down barriers and give children from low-income backgrounds equal opportunities to excel in the art by helping with the purchase of instruments and funding of lessons.
She married King George V’s grandson Edward, Duke of Kent in a grand ceremony in York Minster in 1961 and the pair have three children - George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Windsor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
The duchess suffered heartbreak after catching German measles while pregnant in 1975, forcing her to have a termination, and then two years later she endured the devastation of giving birth to a stillborn son, Patrick.
She suffered from a number of health issues during her lifetime including depression and nervous strain, as well as recurrent gallbladder problem, treatment for an ovarian cyst, and the Epstein-Barr virus with symptoms resembling those of ME or chronic fatigue syndrome.
However, her appearance at Wimbledon to present winners’ trophies became a familiar feature of the summer sporting calendar and she was famed for offering support to disappointed runners-up.
We've seen her at an array of royal events over the years, including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and Kate Middleton and Prince William's 2011 wedding, as well as the Sussexes’ nuptials in 2018.
Topics: Royal Family, The Queen, Queen Camilla, King Charles III, News, UK News
Madison Burgess