William and Kate pay tribute after Duchess of Kent dies aged 92
Prince William and Kate Middleton have paid tribute to the Duchess of Kent, who has died at the age of 92.
The Royal Family said in a statement this afternoon that the duchess, Katharine, ‘passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family’.
She was married to the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward, who is the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth.
The couple shared three children, George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor, as well as 10 grandchildren.
Buckingham Palace added: ‘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.’
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The Prince and Princess of Wales said in a statement that their thoughts are with Katharine’s family.
They added: ‘The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many courses, including through her love of music.
‘She will be a much missed member of the family.’
The Union Jack flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast at midday as a mark of respect.
Who was Katherine, Duchess of Kent?
Katharine was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley at Hovingham Hall, Yorkshire, in 1933.
Her father was the fourth baronet, Sir William Worsley, and her mother was Joyce Morgan Brunner, the daughter of chemical industrialist and Liberal Party politician Sir John Brunner, first Baronet.
She lived in the sprawling estate with her while attending school at Queen Margaret’s School in York, and at Runton Hill School in North Norfolk.
There, she discovered her love for the piano, organ and violin.
Aged 24, she met the Duke of Kent while Edward was living at the military base, Catterick Camp. They tied the knot at York Minster in 1961.
The duchess was not your average royal, long outspoken about her love of Eminem, beatboxing and even thrash metal.
She also became the first member of the royal family to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years in 1994.
She told the BBC: ‘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!’
The duchess stepped away from royal life in 2002, neither attending the coronation of King Charles nor the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.
Away from the spotlight, she spent her time teaching music in a state primary school in Hull.
Speaking in 2022, she said: ‘I was just known as Mrs Kent.
‘Only the head knew who I was. The parents didn’t know and the pupils didn’t know. No one ever noticed.
‘There was no publicity about it at all – it just seemed to work.’
Katharine also volunteered for the Samaritans, toured countries as a Unicef ambassador and founded the charity Future Talent in 2004.
She made a rare appearance on the day of her husband’s 89th birthday in October, when she was pictured in a wheelchair for the first time.
The duchess will be expected to have a Catholic funeral, the first held for a member of the royal family in modern history.
An online condolence book will be available in the coming days.
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