The Duchess of Kent has died at the age of 92, Buckingham Palace has announced today.
One of the most glamorous royals of her generation, she was also admired for her determination to forge her own path and life-long dedication to charity work.
The Duchess – who became the oldest living member of the Royal Family when Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 – was also an elegant fixture at Wimbledon.
She captured the hearts of the nation when she consoled Czech star Jana Novotna as she broke down in tears on Centre Court after losing to reigning champion Steffi Graf in 1993.
The Duchess died at Kensington Palace on Thursday night, surrounded by members of her family. She is survived by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and their three children.
Her sad passing was announced on social media by the Royal Family’s official Twitter account.
This afternoon a death notice was placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace, where the Union Flag was flown at half mast. In 1992 she famously converted to Catholicism, and is expected to have a Catholic funeral in a week’s time in accordance with her wishes.
‘It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent’, the Royal Family’s midday statement said.
‘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’.
In a statement signed ‘W & C’, the Prince and Princess of Wales said: ‘Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas.
‘The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music. She will be a much missed member of the family’.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Duchess of Kent brought ‘compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did’, as he paid tribute following her death.
The Duchess of Kent, here pictured on a 1991 red carpet, has died Buckingham Palace has announced
Married to Prince Edward , the Duke of Kent, cousin to Queen Elizabeth, the couple, pictured together in 1991, have three children: George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
The Duchess of Kent (last pictured last October) is expected to have a Catholic funeral, attended by senior royals including the King and Queen. It will be the first Catholic funeral service held for a member of the royal family in modern British history.
Her death was announced by the Royal Family at midday
At 2.15pm a statement was released by the Prince and Princess of Wales
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The duchess, who has been unwell for sometime, died at Wren House, her marital home in Kensington Palace, surrounded by close family late on Thursday evening. The cause of death has not been released.
No further details about the cause of the duchess’s death have been released.
The King is currently at Balmoral and was informed shortly after she passed. Other members of the Royal Family have also been informed.
Buckingham Palace said that any visits by the family to pay their respects in person would remain private.
The King has approved that Royal Mourning should take place until and including the day of the duchess’s funeral, which is expected to be in a week’s time.
During this time members of The Royal Family and staff will wear clothing which pays appropriate tribute during this period. Those in Livery, the Royal Mews and Troops on Public Duties will wear black armbands.
It is unlikely there will be any national mourning period as the Duchess had not been a working royal since 2002, although it is expected there will be those who wish to pay tribute.
A notice is placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace in London announcing the death of the Duchess of Kent today
The Union flag flies at half mast over Buckingham Palace in tribute on Friday afternoon
Royal engagements are likely to continue, although households will consider the ‘format and tone’ of engagements during this period.
The Royal website will also reflect the announcement of The Duchess’s death, her life and service. An online Book of Condolence will also be available in the coming days.
Details of her funeral will be announced in the coming days, although it is likely to be a Catholic service since the Duchess had converted to the religion.
Details of royal attendance will be released in the coming days but it is expected that most, if not all, members of the family would attend – including non-working royals. This is likely to include Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
Prince Harry will also, notably, be in the UK next week.
The duchess attended events marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and was present for the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 2011 wedding, and the Sussexes’ nuptials in 2018 where she wore comfortable white trainers paired with a floral Erdem maxi dress and walked arm in arm with a staff member from the royal household for support.
In recent years her health grew increasingly poor and she did not attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral or the King’s coronation.
The Duchess’s life-long passion for music and making it accessible to all saw her co-found the Future Talent charity.
In a statement they said: ‘Everyone at Future Talent is deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of Katharine – our Co-Founder and the visionary behind our charity’
Nicholas Robinson OBE, Co-Founder of Future Talent and a friend of the Duchess for more than two decades, told the Mail today of her courage and compassion.
‘I’ve lost a very dear friend,’ he said.
‘She was once described as Katharine, the compassionate duchess. And that word, compassionate…it just sums her up. She was such a kind, genuine and understanding person. It was all about other people. Genuinely selfless. She was also a shy person, so nothing she did was for glory. She was just so wonderful.’
The King, who is at Balmoral, was informed shortly after her death. Prince Harry will also, notably, be in the UK next week, when the funeral is expected to take place. Meghan Markle is expected to remain in the US
The Duchess of Kent dressed in academic robes in her role as the Chancellor of Leeds University in 1967
The Duke of Kent and his fiancee, Miss Katharine Worsley, who became the Duchess of Kent, in a May 1961 image released before their marriage
The Duchess of Kent smiling with American comedian Sammy Davies jnr, when the stars were presented after the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium. Jerry Lewis (centre) and Tommy Steele look on
The Duchess of Kent during her visit to Oxfam’s Mayfair Fair at Grosvenor House, where she met the Fair’s President, Mr Paul Getty, the American oil millionaire, and his guest, Hollywood actress, Zsa Zsa Gabor, in May 1972
The Duchess of Kent acknowledges the crowd from the Royal box at Wimbledon in July 1975 as Margaret Thatcher smiles and looks on
Diana, the Princess of Wales talking to The Duchess of Kent at Earls Court in London at a celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Queen’s Accession in 1992
Pope John Paul II receiving the Duchess of Kent – who converted to Roman Catholicism – during a private audience at the Vatican in 1994
The Duchess of Kent being greeted by a well-wisher in Varanasi, in northern India during her visit to mark the 50th anniversary of UNICEF, in 1996
The Duchess of Kent cradling a child with Cerebral Palsy at The Philani Nutrition and Rehabilitation Centre in Cape Town South Africa during her six day visit in her role as Patron of the UK Committee for UNICEF in 1997
The Duchess of Kent presenting the ladies singles trophy to USA’s Venus Williams in 2001
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, attends a gala pre-wedding dinner held at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park on April 28 2011
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is likely to attend the funeral
Mr Robinson first met Katharine 21 years ago when he was headmaster of King’s College Choir School in Cambridge, which was attended by two of her grand-daughters, Lady Marina and Lady Amelia.
They started chatting about her passion for music and desire to help children, which resulted in them starting a charity together, Future Talent, which supports talented young musicians without access to the right support and mentoring.
He recalled: ‘She had the vision and the passion. She wanted to help young people and combat the lack of opportunity and financial and practical support, but she didn’t know how to go about it. So I promised I would help her.
‘She was such a hands-on founder and trustee, so hardworking. In those early years – and bear in mind she was 71 at the time – she was at our office in London three days a week, writing letters, ringing people, planning. It was such a huge part of her life and at the time there weren’t many members of the Royal Family who had set up their own charity. But I could see her passion and enthusiasm and the way her eyes lit up when she talked about it.
‘She felt there should be no child in this country who had musical talent who couldn’t develop that talent because they didn’t have the right means, support and access. We help through mentoring, paying tuition bills, providing them with the right advice on teaching and musical instruments. It’s like joining a family, and that was driven by her. Children are there to be listened to, encouraged, supported and heard.’
Talking of her 13 years working anonymously in a Hull primary school, Mr Robinson recalled how she would travel up and down by train to Yorkshire every Friday to teach.
‘You could see the children’s eyes light up with her. They drank in her enthusiasm. They loved what she was doing with them. Pop songs…she loved all kinds of music,’ he recalled.
He believes while the duchess had an inner sense of empathy, she was also shaped by her personal tragedies, which led her withdrawing from official royal duties and converting to Catholicism.
‘Given her tragic experiences personally, it gave her a deeper empathy and understanding in being able to connect with people,’ he said.
‘She was a trailblazer in her way, but just doing it in the background so quietly and effortlessly. The famous story of how she comforted Navotna at Wimbledon, you got a glimpse there of the real person behind the scenes.
‘I think people will remember her with enormous affection and admiration, and love.The fact that we have this wonderful charity and all these remarkable musicians as a result of her vision means her legacy won’t be forgotten.
‘You must remember that the [late] Queen gave her permission to covert to become a Catholic [which was unusual]. I think she greatly admired her.’
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement: ‘I wish to send my sincere condolences to His Majesty The King and the royal family on the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.
‘For many years, she was one of our hardest working royals – supporting our late Queen Elizabeth II in her official duties at home and abroad.
‘She brought compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did. Many will remember that moment at the Wimbledon Ladies Final, when she touchingly comforted the runner-up, Jana Novotna.
‘Later, when it was discovered she had been giving her time and working anonymously as a music teacher at a school in Hull, it seemed typical of her unassuming nature.
‘In so many ways, the duchess sought to help. My thoughts are with her husband, His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, her family and all those whose lives she touched.’
Katharine was spotted last October with her devoted husband, the Duke of Kent, by her side as he was serenaded by a piper for his 89th birthday. They were joined by their son Lord Nicholas Windsor (right) and the duke’s younger brother Prince Michael of Kent, 83 (left)
The Duke and Duchess of Kent leaving Westminster Abbey after the wedding of the now Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011
The Duke and Duchess of Kent arriving at the Galilee Porch entrance of St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, for the funeral of the Queen Elizabeth II ‘s aunt Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester in 2004
The Duchess of Kent at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2000
The duchess greets Diana, Princess of Eales at Wimbledon, where she was a fixture for many years
The Duchess of Kent with Josie Russell, then nine, who survived a horrific hammer attack in which her mother and sister both died, during a photocall for the Children of Courage Awards at Westminster Abbey in 1996
Two years earlier, the Duke (right) and Duchess presented the winner’s plate to Chris Evert
When true royalty met showbiz royalty: The duchess at a charity photo call with Bruce Forsyth
The Duchess gave up full-time royal duties and her HRH title to pursue a life away from the spotlight in 2002.
She subsequently spent more than a decade anonymously teaching music in a Hull primary school, where she was simply known as Katharine, or plain ‘Mrs Kent’.
Married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, cousin to Queen Elizabeth, the couple have three children: George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
The Duchess was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley in Yorkshire – a county she always retained a passionate association with – on February 22 1933.
Her adored father was Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet and Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire, while her mother, Joyce Morgan Brunner, was the daughter of Sir John Brunner – the founder of Brunner Mond, which was to become ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries).
She grew up at the ancestral family seat of Hovingham Hall in North Yorkshire, where her family has lived since the early 18th Century, and received no formal education until the age of 10.
She then went on to study at Queen Margaret’s School, York, and Runton Hill School in North Norfolk, where she developed a life-long passion for music, learning the piano, organ and violin. Her daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, has said her mother was a pianist of almost concert standard.
Katharine met Prince Edward, the eldest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, while he was based at Catterick Camp in Yorkshire in 1956.
They married at York Minster on June 8 1961, the first royal wedding to be held there for 633 years, with the bride sporting the spectacular Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara.
The best man was Edward’s brother, Prince Michael of Kent, while Princess Anne was one of the bridesmaids.
Guests included actors Noël Coward and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as well as members of the British, Greek, Danish, Norwegian, Yugoslavian, Romanian, and Spanish royal families.
While she threw herself into royal duties, earning the enduring respect of Queen Elizabeth, it was clear, however, there was something missing from this thoughtful and spiritual woman’s life for a number of years.
This was exacerbated when she suffered a devastating miscarriage in 1975 owing to rubella, and then gave birth to a stillborn son, Patrick, in 1977.
This loss sent her into a severe depression, which saw her hospitalised for ‘nervous strain’ in 1978, something she bravely spoke about publicly later.
‘It had the most devastating effect on me,’ she said later. ‘I had no idea how devastating such a thing could be to any woman. It has made me extremely understanding of others who suffer a stillbirth.’
Before retiring from the Royal Family in the 1990s, Katharine was a fixture at Wimbledon for many years where she became known for presenting the Wimbledon finalists with their trophies – a role the Princess of Wales has now stepped into.
In 1993, the duchess famously showed her compassionate side when she comforted an emotional Jana Novotna on the court as she burst into tears after losing out to Steffi Graf.
A year earlier, she had become the first member of the royal family to convert to Catholicism since the Act of Settlement 1701. Since her husband the Duke of Kent did not convert, he remained in the line of succession.
‘I do love guidelines and the Catholic Church offers you guidelines. I have always wanted that in my life. I like to know what’s expected of me. I like being told: You shall go to church on Sunday and if you don’t you’re in for it!’ she told the BBC.
Katharine Worsley leaving her Hovingham Hall home for York Minster where she was to become the Duchess of Kent on her marriage to Duke of Kent on June 8, 1961
The Duke wore the ceremonial uniform of his regiment the Royal Scots Greys to his wedding to Katharine Worsley
Ten years later she asked the late Queen for permission to give up royal duties and her HRH title, a request the monarch sympathetically agreed to.
The duchess explained that ‘there was nothing that I felt I wanted to hide away from… It was just something that happened in my life. I was always – I wouldn’t say proud of it, but I was glad I did it. I was supported through it as well. The Queen said: ‘Yes, go and do it,’ so I did.’
Remarkably, she took a position as a music teacher in Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull, and also gave piano lessons in a rented studio flat near her official residence at Kensington Palace.
Talking about her career as a music teacher she said: ‘Teaching [the children] is very satisfying. It’s a privilege. To me it’s one of the most exciting jobs anyone can do.’
The duchess also served as president of the Royal Northern College of Music, and was the director of National Foundation for Youth Music from 1999 to 2007, as well as attending occasional large-scale Royal Family functions over the years.
In 2004 she set up the charity Future Talent, which gives music support, instruments and classes, to underprivileged children between the ages of 6 and 18. From small beginnings, they now support 100 musical children.
The duchess with South African president Nelson Mandela at a charity breakfast
Talking of her career as a music teacher, the Duchess once told the BBC how one of her favourite pieces of music was ‘Thank You’ by Dido – although she also, remarkably, admitted a passion for rap including Eminem and Ice Cube.
Inevitably, her life choices and determination to live outside of the royal fold led to speculation about her and the Duke of Kent marriage, but in fact the couple they continued to share a home, Wren House, at Kensington Palace until she died. The Duke is now aged 89 and while frail himself, remains a working royal.
She was last seen in public in October 2024 in a photograph to mark her husband’s 89th birthday, where it was noted that she was sitting in a wheelchair.
Queen Elizabeth was said to have always admired the duchess’ kind, calm nature and strong sense of loyalty and faith, making her a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). She was also awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City of York in 1989.
It is for this reason that her death has sparked seven days of official royal mourning.
Although she is no longer a working royal, the family are understood to be keen to pay tribute given the special place she holds in their hearts.
A notice announcing her death will be displayed at the gates to Buckingham Palace and flags flown at half mast, it is understood.
The ‘hybrid’ mourning plan will see the royal website reflect her passing and offer tributes.
Royal duties will continue be undertaken during the seven-day mourning period, although only suitably low-key engagements will be carried-out by family members,
A full Royal Family turnout is expected at her funeral, details of which are yet to be announced.
Appropriate arrangements being made for that, although the event itself will be private.
