Buckingham Palace announced some sad news on Friday, September 5, sharing that Katharine, the Duchess of Kent has died at the age of 92. The duchess was married to Queen Elizabeth's 89-year-old cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, since 1961 and was a beloved member of the Royal Family. Although she initially was a working royal, supporting Queen Elizabeth alongside her husband, she withdrew from her duties in 1996 and went incognito as a music teacher without any of the public knowing.
"It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent," a palace statement read. "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 organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people," the statement continued.
The Duchess of Kent was considered one of the most glamorous members of the Royal Family in the 1960s, and like royal cousins Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie or Zara Tindall today, the public was fascinated with Katharine and her fashion. Although Katharine rarely made public appearances in her later years, she made style headlines once again by wearing a purple floral Erdem dress with sneakers to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2018 wedding.
She had a strong passion for charity work, and founded the organization Future Talent to give underpriviliged children the opportunity to pursue music. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the Duchess of a Kent and her work in a statement, praising how she brought "compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did".
The duchess shared three children with the Duke of Kent: George, Earl of St. Andrews, Lady Helen Windsor and Lord Nicholas Windsor. Among her grandchildren include Lady Amelia Windsor, who was once called the most beautiful member of the Royal Family.
In 2005, the Duchess of Kent opened up to BBC Radio 3 about her life as a secret teacher. "Only the head knew who I was. The parents didn’t know and the pupils didn’t know. No one ever noticed. There was no publicity about it at all—it just seemed to work,” she said, via The Times.
