Buckingham Palace has announced with “deep sorrow” the death of the Duchess of Kent at the age of 92. She passed away peacefully on Thursday night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family. Flags on royal residences, including Buckingham Palace, have been lowered to half-mast as the Royal Family enters a period of mourning.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, was the oldest member of the Royal Family. She will be remembered for her lifelong devotion to public service, her passion for music, and her enduring empathy for young people.
The King, Queen, and members of the Royal Family paid tribute, recalling her “life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised her “compassion, dignity and human touch,” while tennis legend Martina Navratilova said the duchess had touched “millions of people around the globe in a positive way.”
A familiar figure at Wimbledon, the duchess became known for consoling athletes and presenting trophies — most memorably comforting Czech player Jana Novotna in 1993, and later handing her the winner’s trophy in 1998.
Born Katharine Worsley in Yorkshire, she married the Duke of Kent in 1961 at York Minster, with Princess Anne as a bridesmaid and Queen Elizabeth II among the congregation. In 1994, she became the first member of the Royal Family in more than 300 years to convert to Catholicism, describing it as a deeply personal decision.
Beyond royal duties, she carved out an individual path through music and social service. She supported numerous music charities, sang in the Bach Choir, and taught music anonymously in a Hull primary school, where pupils knew her simply as “Mrs Kent.” She later set up a charity to help disadvantaged young people access instruments and music education, saying: “Music has the power to give confidence and self-belief.”
The Duchess and Duke of Kent had three children, though one son was stillborn in 1977, an experience that left her struggling with “acute depression” at a time when mental health was little discussed. Her openness in later years brought attention to the issue.
Her funeral arrangements have not yet been announced, though it is expected to follow Catholic rites in line with her faith.
She is survived by her husband, the Duke of Kent, aged 89, and their two sons and daughter.
