Since the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022 – the Duchess of Kent has been the oldest member of the Royal Family.
She was 92.
Many tennis fans will remember the Duchess from the television cameras at Wimbledon during the many years she presented trophies to the champions, once famously consoling a visibly upset Jana Navotna after she’d lost in the final.
The Duchess of Kent comforts Jana Novotna as she presents her with the runner up trophy on centre court at Wimbledon in 1993. Credit: PA
Martina Navratalova has even spoken of how her mother was only able to attend Wimbledon to see her win her second final in 1979 because the Duchess of Kent intervened to secure a visa from the then communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
The Duchess of Kent presents the ladies Singles trophy to USA’s Venus Williams in 2001. Credit: PA
Katharine Worsley entered the Royal Family in 1961 when she married Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V.
She had grown up in North Yorkshire, the daughter of Sir William Worsely, the 4th Baronet of the Worsley family estate at Hovingham Hall.
Katharine first met her future husband, who was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1956 at Blenheim Palace and continued their relationship while the Duke was stationed at the Catterick army base in Yorkshire.
So, following their engagement, their strong connections to the county led to the couple choosing York Minister for their marriage ceremony rather than opt for a more traditional royal venue like Westminster Abbey or St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
The choice of the Yorkshire city broke six centuries of royal tradition – and made it the first royal wedding at York Minster since 1328.
The Duke of Kent and his new Duchess, the former Miss Katherine Worsley, at their wedding in 1961. Credit: PA
But it showed how Yorkshire would have a place in Katharine’s heart, throughout her life.
As the wife of Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin, it put Katharine right at the heart of the British Royal Family and, as a senior royal, she took on duties on behalf of the late Queen.
But given the Worsley family ancestry – that came as something of a surprise.
Through her father, Katharine was actually a descendent of Oliver Cromwell – the same Cromwell who fought King Charles I and later had him tried and executed.
It led to England’s only period as a republic since the Battle of Hastings with Katharine’s ancestor, Cromwell, installed as Lord Protector.
Perhaps those decidedly republican ancestral roots explain, in some small way ,the Duchess of Kent’s unconventional approach to royal life.
After three decades as a working member of the family, she sought – and received – permission from Queen Elizabeth to convert to Catholicism in 1994.
The Duchess of Kent with the Archbishop of Westminister, Cardinal Hume, after he had received her into the Roman Catholic Church. Credit: PA
It was a significant decision, as the Act of Settlement of 1701 stated that any royal who married a Roman Catholic would lose their place in the Line of Succession.
But as the duchess was Anglican at the time of her marriage – she, and her husband, kept their royal roles and the Duke of Kent kept his position in the line to the throne.
Her other unconventional act was to channel her passions and interests in a way no royal had done before.
Every week, for 13 years, the Duchess of Kent took the train to Hull where she became ‘Mrs Kent’, to the children of a state primary school where she was the music teacher.
The staff, parents and pupils of Wansbeck Primary had no idea of Katharine’s real identity.
Only the headmistress knew that the woman who taught music and signing to children in east Hull was a member of the Royal Family.
Music was one of the Duchess’ greatest passions and she’d always been concerned that talented pupils from less affluent backgrounds didn’t get the chance to excel in music, in the way children did in private schools.
The Duchess’ teaching job was kept secret until 2004 when she revealed her royal status in the local paper, the Hull Daily Mail.
Katharine explained how Queen Elizabeth told her to ‘just go and do it’. So she did.
In 2005, she told ITV News that she was ‘immensely frustrated’ that she was unable to find a route forward to help several musically talented children she had taught in Hull.
“Why shouldn’t all children have equal opportunities in music?”, she said, whether they attend private schools or state ones.
After she had stepped back from teaching and from royal duties – the Duchess of Kent set up a new charity, Future Talent.
The organisation supports gifted children with programmes to develop their musical talents and awards grants to other pupils to help them buy instruments, go to lessons or attend auditions.
It was jointly founded by the Duchess and Nicholas Robinson, a former Headmaster of King’s College School in Cambridge.
In her later years, she lived with her husband at Wren Cottage, one of the properties in the grounds of Kensington Palace.
It was where she was photographed in 2024 in a wheelchair, watching with her family as pipers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards on the Duke’s birthday last year.
Left to right: Prince Michael of Kent, the Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Kent and Lord Nicholas Windsor outside Wren House in 2024. Credit: PA
It’s understood she had a condition which made it very painful to walk and meant she was unable to attend many of the big royal events in recent years, including the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in 2023.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent have three children: George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, Helen Taylor and Nicholas Windsor.
But Katharine did speak about two pregnancies she endured in the 1970s, one a miscarriage, the other a stillborn and the terrible toll it took on her.
“
I had no idea how devastating such a thing could be to any woman”, she once said.
The Duke of Kent is currently 42nd in the line of succession but at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, he was the third person to pay homage to her after his two uncles, Prince Philip and Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent have three children: George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, Helen Taylor and Nicholas Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent at Westminster Abbey in 2011. Credit: PA
She took a humble approach to her working royal life and never sought the limelight.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent was much more at hone being ‘Mrs Kent’ and told ITV News how her time as a schoolteacher enriched her life.
“A classroom is a room full of learners. I learned more from these children than I ever, ever taught them”.
This is the Talking Royals – our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Senior Producer Lizzie Robinson
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.news.yahoo.com ’
