The Duchess of Kent, who famously broke royal protocol to hug a Wimbledon runner-up and stepped away from family duties to teach music in a public school, has died, Buckingham Palace says. She was 92.
Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, the duchess was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Katharine died on Thursday at her home in Kensington Palace.
“It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, consoles Czech tennis player Jana Novotna after losing the women’s singles final at the 1993 Wimbledon Championships. (Getty)
“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family.”
After marrying Prince Edward in 1961, the duchess had been a working member of the British royal family for decades.
But in recent decades she had kept a low profile, retiring her royal title in 2002.
The royal presented trophies at Wimbledon for many years and was known for consoling runners-up, most notably when she embraced a tearful Jana Novotna after her defeat by Steffi Graf in 1993.
The duchess, who preferred to be known as Mrs Kent, stepped back from royal life to teach music for more than a decade at a public school in Hull, in north-east England.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, with Lady Diana Spencer and her sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale at the Women’s Final of the Wimbledon Championships in 1981. (Getty)
The pianist, organist and singer founded the charity Future Talent to break down barriers for young musicians and provide them with instruments.
She was the first royal to convert to Catholicism in more than three centuries and volunteered for the suicide-prevention group Samaritans.
King Charles III and the rest of the royal family said in a statement that they mourned the loss and fondly remembered “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 flag was lowered to half-staff at Buckingham Palace at midday on Friday to pay respect to the duchess.
The duchess was born on February 22, 1933 as the only daughter to aristocrat Colonel Sir William Worsley, a baronet, and Lady Worsley of Hovingham Hall, near York.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katharine, Duchess of Kent posed with their children George Windsor, Helen Windsor (now Lady Helen Taylor) and baby son Nicholas Windsor at home in London in 1970. (Hulton Archive)
She married Edward, King George V’s grandson, in a lavish 1961 ceremony.
She is survived by Edward and three children, George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Windsor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
– Reported with Associated Press