Katharine
Duchess of Kent (more)
The Duchess, smiling and in bright yellow clothes, holds a koala
Katharine in 1988
BornKatharine Lucy Mary Worsley
(1933-02-22) 22 February 1933
Hovingham Hall, Yorkshire, England
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1961)​
Issue
HouseWorsley
FatherSir William Worsley, 4th Baronet
MotherJoyce Brunner
ReligionRoman Catholic
prev. Anglican
SignatureKatharine's signature
Education

Katharine, Duchess of Kent, GCVO (born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley; 22 February 1933) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V.

The Duchess of Kent converted to Catholicism in 1994; she was the first member of the royal family to convert publicly since the passing of the Act of Settlement 1701. The Duchess is strongly associated with the world of music and has performed as a member of several choirs.

In 2022, she became the oldest living member of the British royal family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Early life and education

Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley was born at Hovingham Hall, Yorkshire, the fourth child and only daughter of Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet, Lord-lieutenant of North Riding, and his wife Joyce Morgan Brunner (1895–1979). Her mother was the daughter of Sir John Brunner, 2nd Baronet, and granddaughter of Sir John Brunner, 1st Baronet, the founder of Brunner Mond, which later became ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries).[1][2] She is a descendant of Oliver Cromwell.[3] Worsley was christened at All Saints' Church, Hovingham, on 2 April 1933. Her godparents were her maternal uncle Sir Felix Brunner, 3rd Baronet, Major Sir Digby Lawson, 2nd Baronet, her paternal aunt Lady Colegate, and Margaret D'Arcy Fife of Nunnington Hall.[4]

Worsley received no formal education until she was 10.[5] She was educated at Queen Margaret's School, York, and at Runton Hill School in North Norfolk.[6] At school, she was introduced to music, and was taught to play the piano, organ and violin, which she still plays today. In her final year at Runton Hill, she was formally elected music secretary; in this role, she organized school recitals in Norwich.[7] She left school with a pass in oral French and a "very good" in English literature.[8]

The Duchess has stated her admiration for the late cellist Jacqueline du Pré in the documentary Who is Jacqueline du Pré? by Christopher Nupen. She later worked for some time in a children's home in York and worked at a nursery school in London.[5] She failed to gain admission to the Royal Academy of Music, but followed her brothers to Oxford – where they were at the University – to study at Miss Hubler's Finishing School, 22 Merton Street, devoting much of her time to music.[9] She was one of only eight pupils there[10] and was instructed by three different teachers: The principal, Miss Hubler, taught French literature, painting, and history; a French woman taught cookery; and a Viennese lady taught music.[10][11]

Marriage

Worsley met Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the eldest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, while he was based at Catterick Camp.[12] On 8 June 1961, the couple married at York Minster, the first royal marriage in that location in 633 years (the last one being between Edward III and Philippa of Hainault).[13] The bride's father escorted her, and the best man was Edward's brother Prince Michael of Kent.[13] Princess Anne was one of the bridesmaids.[13] The Archbishop of York Michael Ramsey conducted the marriage service.[13] Guests included actors Noël Coward and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as well as members of the British, Greek, Danish, Norwegian, Yugoslavian, Romanian, and Spanish royal families.[13] Her white silk gauze dress was designed by John Cavanagh, used 273 yards of fabric and had "a high neckline and long sleeves and a commanding train".[14] The Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara secured her veil.[15]

The couple have three living children:

Katharine had an abortion in 1975 owing to rubella and gave birth to a stillborn son, Patrick, in 1977;[17][18] this loss sent her into a severe depression about which she has spoken publicly.[5] "It had the most devastating effect on me," she told The Daily Telegraph in 1997. "I had no idea how devastating such a thing could be to any woman. It has made me extremely understanding of others who suffer a stillbirth."[18]

The Duchess moved to the married quarters in Hong Kong and Germany while her husband was serving in the military.[5] The couple later took numerous royal engagements on behalf of the Queen, including the Ugandan independence celebrations and the coronation of the King of Tonga.[5]

Catholicism

The Duchess of Kent was received into the Catholic Church in 1994.[19] This was a personal decision, and she received the approval of the Queen. As she explained in an interview on BBC, "I do love guidelines and the Catholic Church offers you guidelines. I have always wanted that in my life. I like to know what's expected of me. I like being told: You shall go to church on Sunday and if you don't you're in for it!"[20]

Although the Act of Settlement 1701 means a member of the royal family marrying a Catholic relinquishes their right of succession to the British throne, the Act does not include marriage to an Anglican who subsequently becomes a Catholic. Therefore, the Duke of Kent did not lose his place in the line of succession to the British throne.[21]

Since then, the couple's younger son, Lord Nicholas, their grandson Lord Downpatrick, and their granddaughter Lady Marina have also become Catholics.[22] Their elder son, Earl of St Andrews, father of Lord Downpatrick, married a Catholic and thus, had been excluded from the succession until the Succession to the Crown Act revoked that exclusion in 2015. The Dukedom of Kent is not subject to the Act of Settlement, so Downpatrick is in line to become the duke of Kent.[23][24]

Later years

The Duchess with Sir Walter Campbell and Lady Campbell in Brisbane, 1992

In 1978, the Duchess was hospitalised for several weeks owing to "nervous strain".[5] Reports by the BBC stated that the Duchess suffers from coeliac disease and Epstein–Barr virus, whose symptoms resemble those of ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as "chronic fatigue syndrome").[5] She stepped down from her role as head of the ME Society in the UK, and has since energetically worked with various charities and schools.

The Duchess of Kent was on the UK Vogue magazine Best Dressed list for several years, and in 1980 she was among the Best Dressed Women on the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame.

In 1999, the Duchess was refused permission to seat the 12-year-old son of a bereaved friend in the Royal Box at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Alternative seating outside the box was offered. She later received what The Daily Telegraph reported in a front-page story was a "curt letter" from club chairman John Curry, reminding her that children, other than members of the royal family, were not permitted in the Royal Box. She, in turn, threatened a boycott of the Royal Box.[25]

The Duchess of Kent decided in 2002 not to use the style "Her Royal Highness" herself and to reduce her royal duties. Since then, she has been informally known as Katharine Kent or Katharine, Duchess of Kent, although her formal style (e.g., in the Court Circular) remains HRH The Duchess of Kent.[26] Despite her decision to stay away from public life, the Duchess continued to appear at major events including the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, the concert at Buckingham Palace and thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012, and the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.[27][28] However, she did not attend the Queen's funeral in 2022 and the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.[29]

The Duchess of Kent at Trooping the Colour, June 2013

In December 1989, Katharine was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs.[30] In keeping with her withdrawal from full royal duties in 1996, the Duchess took a position as a music teacher in Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull.[31] She also gave piano lessons in a rented studio flat near her official residence at Kensington Palace.[27] The Duchess of Kent had served as the president of the Royal Northern College of Music, and was the director of National Foundation for Youth Music from 1999 to 2007.[32][33] In March 2004, Katharine was the subject of Real Story on BBC One. She talked about her career as a music teacher saying "teaching [the children] is very satisfying. It's a privilege. To me it's one of the most exciting jobs anyone can do."[34] In 2005, the Duchess spoke in an interview on BBC Radio 3 of her liking of rap music and of the singer/songwriter Dido, whose song "Thank You" she chose as one of her favourite pieces of music.[35][36] She is patron of the charity Making Music,[37] the National Federation of Music Societies, an umbrella organisation for amateur and voluntary music groups. Katharine is among the co-founders of Future Talent, a charity that helps young children with low-income backgrounds pursue a career in music.[31][38] She was Patron of BBC Young Musician in 2004[39] and 2006.[40]

In 2011, close associates of Jonathan Rees, a private investigator connected to the News International phone hacking scandal, stated that he had penetrated Katharine and Edward's bank accounts.[41]

In May 2016, she hosted a concert for young children at Buckingham Palace in her capacity as founder of Future Talent.[42] In August 2016, the Duchess became an ambassador for Samaritans after a volunteer at the Teesside branch contacted her. She had previously been its Royal Patron from 1971 until 1999.[43] The Duchess is also a supporter of UNICEF.[31] In 2022, the Duchess expressed her love and penchant for gangsta rap, typified by Eminem and Ice Cube.[44][45]

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

Since her marriage, Katharine has been styled "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent".

Honours

Freedom of the City

Honorary military appointments

United Kingdom United Kingdom

Formerly

Civilian offices

Arms

Coat of arms of the Duchess of Kent
Notes
Coat of arms of the Duchess of Kent, depicting her husband's arms impaled with those of her father.
Coronet
Coronet of a Grandchild of the Sovereign
Escutcheon
The Duke of Kent's arms impaled with those of the Duchess's father, Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet.
Supporters
The Royal Supporters differenced with the like coronet and label.
Orders
The Royal Victorian Order circlet.
VICTORIA
Other elements
Insignia of GCVO appended

Issue

NameBirthDeathMarriageChildren
George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews26 June 19629 January 1988Sylvana TomaselliEdward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick
Lady Marina Windsor
Lady Amelia Windsor
Lady Helen Taylor28 April 196418 July 1992Timothy TaylorColumbus Taylor
Cassius Taylor
Eloise Taylor
Estella Taylor
Lord Nicholas Windsor25 July 19704 November 2006Paola Doimi de Lupis de FrankopanAlbert Windsor
Leopold Windsor
Louis Windsor
Lord Patrick Windsor
(stillborn)		5 October 1977

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. pp. 4243–4244. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  2. ↑ Cathcart, Helen (1971). The Duchess of Kent (First ed.). London: W.H. Allen. p. 31.
  3. ↑ Le Petit Gotha.
  4. ↑ "Christenings". The Times. 3 April 1933. p. 17.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Army wife who would occasionally don a tiara". The Telegraph. 19 June 1999. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  6. ↑ Cathcart, Helen (1971). The Duchess of Kent (First ed.). London: W.H. Allen. p. 61.
  7. ↑ Cathcart, Helen (1971). The Duchess of Kent (First ed.). London: W.H. Allen. p. 67.
  8. ↑ Cathcart, Helen (1971). The Duchess of Kent (First ed.). London: W.H. Allen. p. 68.
  9. ↑ 'Kent, Katherine, Duchess of', in Ronald Allison and Sarah Riddell, eds, The Royal Encyclopedia (Basingstoke; London: Macmillan, 1991), pp. 293–294.
  10. 1 2 Cathcart, Helen (1971). The Duchess of Kent. London: W.H. Allen. p. 71.
  11. ↑ Garner, Valerie (1991). Katharine Duchess of Kent (First ed.). London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 36. ISBN 0297811754.
  12. ↑ "Engagement Of The Duke Of Kent To Miss Katharine Worsley (1961)". British Pathé. YouTube. 13 April 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Wedding At York Wedding Of Prince Edward". Britishpathe.com. British Pathé. 3 January 2010. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  14. ↑ Lang, Cady (1 May 2018). "The 12 Most Influential British Royal Wedding Dresses of All Time". Time. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  15. ↑ "The 22 Most Gorgeous Royal Wedding Tiara Moments of All Time (slide 17)". 18 March 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  16. ↑ "'The most iconic royal wedding gowns of all time". Harper's Bazaar. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  17. ↑ Carpenter, Julie (22 February 2013). "Duchess of Kent: The reluctant royal at 80". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  18. 1 2 "I lost my baby at nine months .. it devastated me; The Duchess of Kent reveals the stillbirth that led to a breakdown". The Mirror. 23 December 1997. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  19. ↑ "BBC ON THIS DAY | 14 | 1994: Duchess of Kent joins Catholic church". BBC News. 14 January 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  20. ↑ Wynick, Alex (22 February 2013). "Duchess of Kent turns 80: 10 things you need to know about the reclusive royal". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  21. ↑ Brown, Andrew (18 September 2011). "Catholics hail Duchess of Kent's conversion". The Independent. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  22. ↑ Marre, Oliver (24 May 2008). "Windsor scoop". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  23. ↑ "Lord Eddy Downpatrick: The royal family has been hiding this serious hottie". news.com.au. 15 December 2018.
  24. ↑ Chang, Mahalia (8 April 2018). "13 Hot Eligible Princes You Can Still Marry". ELLE.
  25. ↑ "UK Wimbledon chief says sorry to duchess". The BBC online. 22 September 1999. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  26. ↑ "About The Duchess of Kent". Royal UK. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  27. 1 2 Walker, Tim (6 June 2012). "The Queen – and Sir Cliff Richard – tempt the Duchess of Kent back into the limelight". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  28. ↑ "The Royal wedding guest list in full". 22 May 2018. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  29. ↑ Morris, Nicky (19 September 2022). "The one royal family member who did not attend the Queen's funeral". Hello!. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  30. ↑ "HRH The Duchess of Kent". BBC Radio 4. 24 December 1989. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  31. 1 2 3 "Duchess of Kent: 'my love for teaching music at Hull state primary school'". The Daily Telegraph. 30 September 2011. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  32. ↑ "1970s". Royal Northern College of Music. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  33. ↑ "The National Foundation for Youth Music – Officers". Companies House service. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  34. ↑ Bruce, Fiona (15 March 2004). "A Duchess in trainers". BBC News. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  35. ↑ "Private Passions, Katherine, Duchess of Kent". BBC radio 3. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  36. ↑ "Duchess's secret life as teacher". The BBC online. 11 March 2004. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  37. ↑ "Helping amateur music flourish". Making Music. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  38. ↑ "Katharine Kent (Co-founder)". Future Talent. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  39. ↑ "BBC - Press Office - Young Musician of the Year 2004 winner".
  40. ↑ "BBC - Press Office - Liverpool clarinettist wins BBC Young Musician 2006".
  41. ↑ Davies, Nick (8 June 2011). "Phone-hacking scandal widens to include Kate Middleton and Tony Blair". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  42. ↑ "Young musicians perform at Buckingham Palace hosted by The Duchess of Kent". The Royal Family. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  43. ↑ "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent becomes a Samaritans Ambassador". Samaritans. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  44. ↑ Wace, Charlotte. "Rapping duchess, 89, who digs Eminem and thinks Ice Cube is cool". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  45. ↑ "Duchess of Kent loves rap music by Eminem and Ice Cube". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  46. ↑ Vickers, Hugo (1994), Royal Orders, Boxtree, p. 34, ISBN 9781852835101
  47. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Duchess of Kent – Activities and interests". Royal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  48. ↑ "Some Famous Honorary Freemen". The Gild of Freemen of the City of York. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  49. ↑ "Yorkshire Volunteers History". Yorkshire Volunteers Regimental Association. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  50. ↑ "A Brief History of the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps, Auxiliary Territorial Service and Women's Royal Army Corps". Women's Royal Army Corps Association. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  51. 1 2 3 "No. 52834". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 13 February 1992. p. 2582.
  52. ↑ "Duchess steps down as University Chancellor" Archived 3 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Leeds University Reporter, 424, 5 October 1998.
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