Katherine, the Duchess of Kent, has passed away at the age of 92. The Duchess of Kent was rarely seen in public in recent years, even though her husband is still technically a working royal with a public schedule. In the 1990s, the Duchess began working as a music teacher and a private piano teacher. In 2002, the Duchess made the choice to step away from most royal work. She also converted to Catholicism at some point.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin the Duke of Kent, has died at the age of 92, Buckingham Palace has announced. Buckingham Palace said the duchess had died late on Thursday evening.
The palace said 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 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 lifelong devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”
The union flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half mast at midday as a mark of respect and a formal framed announcement will be posted on the railings of the royal residence shortly.
It’s really sad, and I hope her husband and children take some time away from everything. I do wonder about the funeral arrangements, given her conversion to Catholicism. Obviously, she won’t have a state funeral or anything like that, but I wonder if there will be some weird rules about whether the Windsors can attend a Catholic funeral mass? I also sort of wonder if someone, somewhere will say that Prince Harry “needs to come back to England” for the funeral.
Tennis fans will always remember the Duchess of Kent for her humanity and empathy towards Jana Novatna after Jana lost in that Wimbledon final. The Duchess comforted Jana as she wept on the Duchess’s shoulder.
Photos courtesy of Photoshot/Avalon and Avalon Red.
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- HRH DUCHESS OF KENT With Right) HRH PRINCESS DIANA. (HRH Princess of Wales) (Seen at the 1994 Wimbledon Tennis Championships) COMPULSORY CREDIT: UPPA/Photoshot Photo UGL 007921/A-22 02.07.1994,Image: 502656568, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries call Photoshot Global HQ – London + 44 (0)20 7421 6000 , also New York Office Tel : + 1 646-429-8731 and Hamburg Office Tel +49 (0)40 530 240 5959, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photoshot/Avalon
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- HRH DUCHESS OF KENT (Seen at Guildhall, for the State Banquet for President Mugabe of Zimbabwe) COMPULSORY CREDIT: UPPA/Photoshot Photo UIW 007764/A-34a 18.05.1994,Image: 502657740, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries call Photoshot Global HQ – London + 44 (0)20 7421 6000 , also New York Office Tel : + 1 646-429-8731 and Hamburg Office Tel +49 (0)40 530 240 5959, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photoshot/Avalon
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- 98318, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Tuesday June 4, 2013. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katherine, Duchess of Kent during the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey in London. **UK, AUSTRALIA & NZ OUT** **FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE** **E-TABLET/IPAD & MOBILE PHONE APP PUBLISHING REQUIRES ADDITIONAL FEES**,Image: 528199198, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews.com/Avalon
She was a kind, compassionate, elegant and caring woman who was beautiful inside and out.
I’d like to think Diana and her are playing a duet on a celestial piano now.
Yes, she was too sweet and kind
When she stepped back from royal duties to teach, she didn’t use her HRH and was known as Katharine Kent.
They go to Catholic funerals all the time. Well, some of them. I’ll be shocked if Will and Kate go to this.
I’m pretty sure the Pope’s funeral was a Catholic mass, so yes, they can go.
😂
Never saw the Lazies with her. They should stay away. They are opposite to her life of service and selflessness.
I remember that moment with Jana Novotna so well. A real display of kindness and empathy.
It sounds like the funeral will be a Catholic one, likely in a week or so. The Daily Fail have already noted that ‘Prince Harry is expected to be in the country’. They don’t hang about, do they?
When she was the patron she would present the trophies, but it was never the narcissistic circus that it is now with Kate. That’s why Jana Novotna felt like she could be comforted, because she acted like she cared about the players more than her own image.
Katherine and her mother in law Marina were both gracious ladies. And as they presented the Wimbledon Trophies (Katherine took over from her mother in law after Marina passed on), they did not make it all about them nor expect applause for their showing up.
One fact about her many don’t know was she was a huge fan of rap, especially Eminem and Ice Cube.
The Duchess was classy and elegant without even trying. RIP 🙁
I liked her as she presented herself publicly – her life of duty and service and compassion. So visible when Jana broke down.
I love the story of her volunteering as a music teacher as it was such a passion of hers.
Farewell Katherine. You enhanced that family with your light.
She seemed like a kind person. I hope her memory is a comfort to those who loved her.
I liked her a lot. I loved that she found a way to forge her own path, and that she pulled off a new career as a music teacher without her cover being blown. 💟
Classy Katherine. Zero pretension. Rest in Peace.
It’s interesting that she was allowed to withdraw from public life. Maybe it’s because she was married in and not a blood royal. I used to enjoy seeing her give out the trophies at Wimbledon. I suspect she was allowed to step back from royal duty because her and Duke of Kent’s marriage had technically ended.
She had already been through so much by that point. In the ’70s, she had contracted measles while pregnant and was told she had to have an abortion because the child would be disabled. She went through with the abortion but came to regret it. She got pregnant again, but had a stillbirth. At some point after that, she had a nervous breakdown. The conversion to Catholicism must have been something of a fresh start after those losses.
There was chatter that her mother had really pressured her to marry the duke. He seemed to be more in love with her than she was with him, as far as I could tell. But she did nurse him during his recovery from a stroke a few years ago and that brought them closer together.
She lived to 92. I’m sure her family will miss her but it’s more of a celebration of life than really sad when someone makes it into their 90s. She lived a long, full life.
Seriously, if you’re lucky enough to live into your 90’s and pass peacefully at home-you’ve won. There’s not much to be sad about.
Sad news. A genuinely lovely woman – kind, elegant and definitely too good for that family.
It’s unfortunate that people mix her up with her racist sister in law.
I’m one of those who did confuse the two women. It seems that they are direct opposites.
May Katherine Kent rest in peace.
I remember her for her little tiff with Wimbledon when she had invited the young son of a bereaved friend, whose husband had been murdered a few years previously. Wimbledon nixed it, saying only Royal children in the Royal box. While she would still attend tennis matches occasionally, she was very disappointed with Wimbledon and did pull away eventually from any official role with Wimbledon. I think she felt, rightly, that if the queen could have a non royal, terminally ill, child on the balcony for the trooping of color, Wimbledon should be able to make an exception as well.
She learned that Wimbledon had an even bigger poker up its collective ass than the Queen!
Can’t stand the concept of royalty and the U.K. should abolish their role. That said, she was a class act, and her consoling Jana – who sadly didn’t even make 50 – will be long remembered.
A very sad day. The Duchess of Kent’s service to the Crown and to the general public puts WanK’s in the shade. I remember her well and had the privilege of seeing her in the flesh in 1970 when participating in a parade through my home town where she was the guest of honour of the mayor. Remarkable woman.