The Duchess of Kent, Britain’s longest-serving royal, has died, her family announced Friday. She was 92.
“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,” the royals said in a message shared on the family’s official social media accounts, adding that King Charles III and Queen Camilla, along with all members of the family, joined her husband the Duke of Kent and 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.”
The Duchess, Katharine, spent most of her life – 64 years – married to the late Queen Elizabeth II ‘s first cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, whom she met in 1956.
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“Proudly of Yorkshire Heritage, His Royal Highness was best known for his appearances at Wimbledon, where he presented the Women’s Singles trophy for many years, and was also a passionate musician, music teacher and advocate for children and young people’s welfare,” a statement on the royal family’s website said.
The family said he continued to play piano, organ and violin throughout his life, and noted that for the past 30 years or so he “focused on his passion for music, stepping aside as a working member of the royal family in 2002 to concentrate on his private and charitable work in this sector.”
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Before leaving her official royal duties behind, she spent years teaching music at a primary school in Hull, a city in her home region of Yorkshire.
The Duchess’s death makes her husband, the Duke of Kent, the oldest member of the British royal family at 89.
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Longevity is a family trait.
Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 at the age of 96, and she was only the fifth-longest-serving member of her family. Elizabeth was, however, the longest-serving British monarch, having occupied the throne for over 70 years.
The longest-serving British royal family member of all time was Princess Alice , Duchess of Gloucester, who died in October 2004 at the age of 102.
