Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Dead at 92

Katharine, Duchess of Kent, has died at age 92.

Buckingham Palace announced the news of the Duchess of Kent’s passing on Friday, writing in a statement, “It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.”

“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,” the statement continued, adding “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 organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, also mourned the death of Duchess Katharine in their own statement.

“Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas,” the couple wrote. “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.”

Born Katharine Worsley, the Duchess of Kent assumed her royal title when she married Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Prince Edward, in 1961. The couple would welcome three children — George, 63, the Earl of St. Andrews; Lady Helen Windsor, 61; and Lord Nicholas Windsor, 55.

In 1996, Duchess Katharine decided to step back from her royal duties in order to focus on her teaching career, privately teaching music at a primary school for a decade as Mrs. Kent. In 2002, she once again distanced herself from the royal family, deciding to no longer use the title of “Her Royal Highness.”

Despite Duchess Katharine’s step back from royal life, she did attend Prince William and Princess Kate’s wedding in 2011 as well as the 2018 nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The duchess maintained her passion for music throughout the years, acting as a patron for the charity Making Music and the National Federation of Music Societies. She also was one of the founders of Future Talent, a charity that helps children from low-income homes to pursue a career in music.

Katharine also made headlines when she expressed her love for rap, including Eminem and Ice Cube, in 2022, telling The Times that rap music is “probably the second best to classical” and calling it “wonderful.”

Outside of her work in the world of music, Duchess Katharine was also a supporter of UNICEF and the Passage Night Shelter.