The royal family is in mourning following the death of Katharine, Duchess of Kent.
Buckingham Palace said she “passed away peacefully” on Thursday, surrounded by close family.
Katharine, the oldest member of the royal family, was married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.
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The Prince is a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“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,” the palace said.
The King has approved a period of mourning until her funeral, and an online book of condolence will be available in the coming days.
The union flag at Buckingham Palace has been lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect.
The palace did not comment on her cause of death.
Czech tennis player Jana Novotna is consoled by the Duchess of Kent after losing the women’s singles final at the 1993 Wimbledon Championships. Credit: Henning Bangen/Getty Images
Katharine was a rare sight at official engagements, having not been a working member of the royal family since 2002.
She dropped her HRH style, preferred to be known as Mrs Kent and spent time teaching music in a state primary school in Hull.
She is perhaps best known for putting aside royal formalities and comforting late Czech tennis player Jana Novotna moments after she lost the women’s singles final at Wimbledon in 1993.
She presented trophies at the championships for many years but became disenchanted with Wimbledon authorities when she was refused permission to take the young son of a murdered headmaster into the royal box.
The Duchess, born Katharine Worsley in 1933, died aged 92.
She is survived by her husband and three children, George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
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