The Duchess of Kent, who was married to the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, has died at the age of 92, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Born Katharine Worsley, she was known for consoling losing Wimbledon finalists, notably a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993, and presented trophies at the championships for many years.
She preferred to be known as Mrs Kent and dropped her HRH style, retreating from royal life to spend more than a decade teaching music in a state primary school in Hull.
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 life-long 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.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.independent.co.uk ’
