Britain’s royal family is mourning the loss of its oldest member, the Duchess of Kent, who died peacefully at the age of 92 on Thursday night, September 4, 2025. The news was announced by Buckingham Palace the following day, with a statement expressing the family’s “deep sorrow” and noting that the Duchess, Katharine, passed away at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her loved ones.
“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,” the palace said, as reported by BBC and other major outlets. The announcement was marked by the lowering of flags to half-mast at royal residences, including Buckingham Palace, and the traditional framed notice was placed on the palace railings in a gesture of public respect.
King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and all members of the royal family joined the Duke of Kent, the Duchess’s husband of more than six decades, along with their children and grandchildren, in mourning her loss and remembering her “life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people,” according to a statement from the palace. The King, who was informed of her death late Thursday while in Balmoral, immediately approved a period of royal mourning to last until the day of her funeral.
The Duchess of Kent, born Katharine Worsley in Yorkshire, entered royal life in 1961 when she married Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, himself a grandson of King George V and a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Their wedding at York Minster was a grand affair, with Princess Anne among the bridesmaids and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in attendance. The couple went on to have three children—George, Helen, and Nicholas—as well as another son who was tragically stillborn in 1977, a loss that led to a period of intense emotional turmoil for the Duchess. Palace officials at the time described her subsequent seven-week hospital stay as being for “nervous exhaustion,” and she later spoke candidly of suffering from “acute depression.”
Despite personal challenges, the Duchess carved out a distinctive path within the royal family. She was the first royal in over 300 years to convert to Catholicism, a decision she described as “a long-pondered personal decision” when she was received into the Catholic Church by Cardinal Basil Hume in 1994. This milestone was widely covered by outlets such as BBC, highlighting its historical significance.
Throughout her life, the Duchess was known for her devotion to charitable work and her deep passion for music. She supported numerous causes, especially those related to music and young people, and was a familiar presence at royal functions until her retirement from official duties in 2002. As reported by ABC News and CNN, she became a beloved figure at the Wimbledon tennis championships, where she presented trophies to winners and, in moments that resonated with the public, consoled defeated players—most famously comforting a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993. Five years later, she was there to present Novotna with the trophy when the Czech star finally won the title.
The Duchess’s empathy and approachability were not limited to high-profile events. For over a decade, she worked as a part-time music teacher at Wansbeck Primary School in Hull, where she was known simply as “Mrs Kent.” Parents and pupils were largely unaware of her royal status, and she spoke fondly of her time there. “My connection will always be there. I love those children, I love East Hull, I wouldn’t have stayed there for 13 years if I hadn’t,” she once said, as quoted by BBC. She also established the Future Talent charity, which aims to provide children with opportunities to excel in music, driven by her belief in the “power of music to give confidence and self-belief.”
Her musical interests were wide-ranging. She played the piano, organ, and violin, sang in the Bach Choir, and described Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus as her favorite piece, though she later admitted to enjoying gangsta rap as well—an unexpected detail that endeared her to many Britons.
Her contributions extended beyond music. The Duchess volunteered for the Passage homelessness charity, supported by the Prince of Wales, and was praised for her work with Childline. Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of Childline, described her as “an amazing woman... I think that her royal role was quite a challenge for her because she was quite a shy person and she had her share of illnesses, but, I could tell, I think she sacrificed herself for the sake of others.”
Condolences poured in from across the country and beyond. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the Duchess’s legacy, saying, “She brought compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did.” The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, shared their own message on social media: “Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas. The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music. She will be a much missed member of the family.”
In the days following her death, the royal family and staff will observe mourning customs, including the wearing of dark clothes and, for troops on public duties, black armbands. The date of the Duchess’s funeral has not yet been announced, but it is expected to be a Catholic service in accordance with her faith. The period of mourning comes at a busy time for the royals, with a state visit by President Trump approaching and Prince Harry due in the UK for charity events.
With her passing, her husband, the Duke of Kent, now 89, becomes the oldest living member of the British royal family. The Duchess’s longevity was notable, though she was outlived by Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, who died at 102, and Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in 2022 at 96.
The Duchess of Kent’s legacy is one of quiet service, resilience, and kindness. Whether presenting trophies at Wimbledon, teaching music in Hull, or supporting vulnerable children, she left a mark on countless lives. As tennis star Martina Navratilova put it in her tribute, “It was amazing how many millions of people around the globe she affected in a positive way.”
As Britain prepares to bid farewell to the Duchess, her memory will live on not only in royal history, but in the hearts of those she touched through her compassion, dedication, and love of music.
