The Duchess of Kent, the oldest member of Britain’s royal, has died, the household introduced on Friday. She was 92.
“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,” the royals mentioned in a message shared on the household’s official social media accounts, including that King Charles III and Queen Camilla, together with all family members, joined her husband the Duke of Kent and his kids 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.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent are seen on the State Opening of Parliament, Nov. 15, 1995.
Tim Graham Photograph Library by way of Getty
“Proudly of Yorkshire heritage, Her Royal Highness was best known for her appearances at Wimbledon, where she presented the Ladies’ Singles Trophy for many years, and was also a passionate musician, music teacher and advocate for children and young people’s welfare,” an announcement on the royal household’s web site mentioned.
The household mentioned she continued enjoying the piano, organ and violin all through her life, and famous that, for the final 30 years or so, she had “focused on her passion for music, stepping aside as a working Member of The Royal Family in 2002 to focus on her private and charitable work in this sector.”
German tennis participant Steffi Graf holds the Venus Rosewater Dish aloft after the presentation by British Royal Katharine, Duchess of Kent, after the Girls’s Singles closing on the Wimbledon Garden Tennis Championship, in Wimbledon, London, July 3, 1993.
Henning Bangen/Bongarts/Getty
Earlier than leaving her official royal duties behind, she spent years educating music at an elementary college in Hull, a metropolis in her residence area of Yorkshire.
The duchess’ demise makes her husband, the Duke of Kent, the oldest residing member of the British royal household at 89.
Princess Diana and a younger Prince Harry are seen with the Duke And Duchess of Kent, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace through the Battle of Britain anniversary parade, Sept. 15, 1990.
Tim Graham Photograph Library by way of Getty
Longevity is a household trait.
Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 on the age of 96, and she or he was solely the fifth longest-living member of her household. Elizabeth was, nevertheless, the longest-reining British monarch, having occupied the throne for greater than 70 years.
The longest-living British royal member of the family ever was Princess Alice, the Duchess of Gloucester, who died in October 2004 on the age of 102.
