The British Royal Family is mourning.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, has passed away at 92, Buckingham Palace announces with ‘deep sorrow.’
She was the longest-serving member of the royal family, married to Prince Edward, and a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Simply known as “Mrs Kent”
The Duchess of Kent ”passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family”, a statement said on Friday.
At Buckingham Palace, the Union Jack has been lowered to half mast.
“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 Palace said.
According to the BBC, the Duchess was a devoted music lover, supporting charities and even teaching music at a primary school. There, pupils had no idea of her royal status, and she was simply known as “Mrs Kent.”
Many will remember the Duchess from her frequent appearances at Wimbledon, where she could be seen watching the tennis matches and presenting prizes on the court.
Joined the Royal Family in 1961
Born Katharine Worsley into an aristocratic land-owning family in Yorkshire, she joined the Royal Family in 1961 when she married Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V. Surprisingly, Worsley didn’t receive a formal education until she was 10, yet she quickly adapted to royal life.
Princess Anne served as one of the bridesmaids at Katharine and Edward’s wedding in York Minster, while the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles were among the congregation.
Throughout her life, the Duchess balanced royal duties with carving her own path. In 1994, she became the first royal in more than 300 years to convert to Catholicism, calling it “a long-pondered personal decision.” She was received into the Church by Cardinal Basil Hume, who had also helped establish the Passage charity for homelessness, where the Duchess later volunteered.
Stillbirth
The couple had three children, though tragedy struck when a son, Patrick, was stillborn in 1977. The loss brought intense emotional turmoil and a seven-week hospital stay for what officials described as “nervous exhaustion.”
Reflecting years later, she told The Daily Telegraph, “It had the most devastating effect on me. 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.”
At a time when mental health struggles were rarely discussed, she bravely revealed her battle with “acute depression.”
In 2002, the Duchess chose to step back from her royal duties and stopped using the style “Her Royal Highness,” becoming informally known as Katharine Kent or Katharine, Duchess of Kent. But she never fully disappeared from the public eye, attending major events like Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s wedding in 2011, Buckingham Palace concerts and St. Paul’s Cathedral services during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.
She notably did not attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022 or King Charles III’s coronation in 2023, quietly marking her own path through decades of royal life.
The Duchess of Kent leaves behind her husband, the 89-year-old Duke of Kent, and their two sons and daughter.