Who was Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, who passed away at 92

In what became the picturesque moment of the Wimbledon finals, Duchess of Kent was seen consoling a sobbing Jana Novotna at the Wimbledon. She also became the oldest royal—at 92 years of age—after the death of Queen Elizabeth.

The Duchess of Kent also achieved something which was considered to be something of a miracle at the height of the Cold War. A visa for a national of the communist Czechoslovakia, Martina Navratilova, to Britain, whose mother was playing at the 1979 Wimbledon Open. The Duchess, whose real name was Katharine Worsley, joined the Royal English bandwagon after marrying the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward, grandson of King George V, in 1961.

Early life of Duchess Katharine

She was raised in North Yorkshire, daughter of Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet of Hovingham Hall. She first met Prince Edward in 1956 at Blenheim Palace while he was serving at Catterick army base in Yorkshire.

After their engagement, they chose York Minster for their 1961 wedding, breaking 600 years of royal tradition as most royal weddings were held at Westminster Abbey or St George’s Chapel. Their wedding was the first royal wedding at York Minster since 1328, showing her lifelong love for Yorkshire.

As wife of Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, she became a senior royal and carried out official duties on behalf of the Queen. Despite her royal role, her ancestry was surprising — through her father, she was a descendant of Oliver Cromwell, who fought King Charles I and oversaw his execution, as stated by ITV News.

Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector, during England’s only republican period after the Battle of Hastings. Perhaps linked to this heritage, the Duchess often took an unconventional approach to royal life.

Duchess of Kent’s faith, teaching and charity work

The Duchess of Kent converted to Catholicism after she received the Queen’s permission in 1994. It could have effectively ended Prince Edwards' claims to succession as Act of Settlement 1701 banned royals who married Catholics from the line of succession. But as the Duchess was Anglican at the time of marriage, Prince Edward remained a contender, reports said.

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Another unconventional step was working as a music teacher. For 13 years, she traveled weekly by train to Hull, where she secretly taught at Wansbeck Primary School as “Mrs Kent”, as mentioned in the report by ITV News.

Neither pupils, parents, nor staff knew her true identity; only the headmistress knew. She revealed this secret in 2004 to the Hull Daily Mail. She said Queen Elizabeth told her, “Just go and do it,” when she asked permission to take the job.

In 2005, she told ITV News she was “immensely frustrated” about the lack of opportunities for talented children in state schools compared with private schools. She asked, “Why shouldn’t all children have equal opportunities in music?”

After stepping back from teaching and royal duties, she co-founded the charity Future Talent with Nicholas Robinson, former headmaster of King’s College School, Cambridge. The charity helps gifted children pursue music through training programs, grants for instruments, lessons, and auditions, as per the reports.

Duchess of Kent’s later years and family life

In later years, she lived with her husband at Wren Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace. In 2024, she was photographed in a wheelchair at Wren Cottage, watching pipers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards perform on the Duke’s birthday, 2024 photo event.

The Duchess started suffering from some health conditions in 2020, with an ITV report claiming that a severe chronic pain in the leg kept her from attending the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in 2023. She had three children with Prince Edward, George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews; Lady Helen Taylor; and Lord Nicholas Windsor.

She also spoke openly about her two pregnancy losses in the 1970s, one miscarriage and one stillborn, she said, “I had no idea how devastating such a thing could be to any woman”. The Duke of Kent, her husband, is currently 42nd in the line of succession. At Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, he was the third to pay homage after Prince Philip and Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester.

The Duchess was known for humility, never seeking the limelight, and said she preferred being “Mrs Kent” rather than a royal figure. Reflecting on her teaching, she told ITV News, “A classroom is a room full of learners. I learned more from these children than I ever, ever taught them”, as per the ITV News report.

FAQs

Q1. Who was Katharine, Duchess of Kent?
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, was the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, known for her royal duties, love for music, and secret work as a schoolteacher.

Q2. How did the Duchess of Kent support music education?
She secretly taught music in a Hull school for 13 years and later co-founded the charity Future Talent to help gifted children from less wealthy families.