Duchess of Kent Katharine has died at the age of 92, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday. In a statement, the Palace said she "passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family". The flag at Buckingham Palace has been lowered to half-mast.
Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, was the oldest member of the Royal Family and the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
She was a familiar figure at the Wimbledon tennis championships, often presenting trophies and comforting players, most notably consoling a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993.
"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.
A lifelong music lover, the duchess supported many music charities and taught music at a Hull primary school, where pupils knew nothing of her royal identity and knew her simply as "Mrs Kent".
Early life and marriage into the Royal Family
Born Katharine Worsley into an aristocratic land-owning family in Yorkshire, the duchess joined the Royal Family in 1961 when she married the Duke of Kent, grandson of King George V. Their wedding took place at York Minster, where Princess Anne served as a bridesmaid and the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles were among the congregation.
Role in royal duties
After her marriage, the duchess undertook a regular schedule of royal engagements, though she also shaped her own independent path throughout her life.
Conversion to Catholicism
In 1994, she became the first royal in more than 300 years to convert to Catholicism, calling it "a long-pondered personal decision". She was received into the Catholic Church by the then Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Basil Hume.
The duchess became a volunteer for the Passage homelessness charity, founded with the involvement of Cardinal Hume. The organisation continues to receive strong public support, now championed by the Prince of Wales.
