Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, died in London on Sept. 5, 2025, at age 92; a long-serving royal known for low-key public duties, a close association with Wimbledon and a memorable on-court consolation in 1993.
Key Takeaways
- Died in London on Sept. 5, 2025; Buckingham Palace announced her death without further detail.
- Born Feb. 22, 1933, at Hovingham Hall in Yorkshire to Sir William Worsley and Joyce Morgan Brunner.
- Married Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, in York Minster in 1961; the couple had three children and 10 grandchildren.
- Longtime Wimbledon patron and regular in the royal box, noted for embracing Jana Novotna after the 1993 final.
- Converted to Catholicism in 1994, the first direct royal family member to do so in more than 300 years.
- Stepped back from most public duties in 2002; had a history of health problems including complications in the 1970s and chronic fatigue syndrome.
- The government ordered flags at half-staff and political leaders paid tribute.
Verified Facts
Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley was born on at the family seat Hovingham Hall in North Yorkshire. She was the daughter of Sir William Worsley, a landed heir, and Joyce Morgan Brunner. Her upbringing placed her within Britain s upper social circles and led to her meeting Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.
The couple married in 1961 in York Minster; the duke, a grandson of King George V and a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, has long been viewed as a steady presence. Their children are George, the Earl of St Andrews; Lady Helen Taylor; and Lord Nicholas Windsor. They leave 10 grandchildren.
The duchess was a frequent presence at Wimbledon, where the duke served as president for about 50 years. She became widely known beyond royal-watchers for comforting Jana Novotna after the 1993 women s final, a spontaneous gesture that was later followed by a shared moment when Novotna won the title in 1998.
In 1994 the duchess converted to Roman Catholicism, a notable change given the royal family’s historic ties to the Church of England. She gradually withdrew from the bulk of her public duties after 2002 but continued occasional ceremonial appearances.
Context & Impact
The duchess s low-profile style—focusing on smaller-scale patronage, music education and local projects—contrasted with more prominent, often scrutinized members of the royal family. Her quiet charitable work and public moments of empathy were frequently highlighted as humanizing.
Her health history was public in part because she spoke about it. A 1975 case of German measles led to a terminated pregnancy, and a stillbirth followed in 1977; she also spent time in hospital in 1978 for what was described then as nervous exhaustion and later experienced chronic fatigue syndrome. Those episodes shaped how she engaged with public life and advocacy.
Locally she left a tangible legacy: she opened the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1973 and later taught music at Wansbeck Primary School in Hull in the 1990s, where pupils knew her as Mrs. Kent rather than as royalty.
Nationally, the government ordered flags to fly at half-staff and Prime Minister Keir Starmer and others offered formal recognition of her years of service.
For many years she was one of our hardest working royals.
Keir Starmer, Prime Minister
Unconfirmed
- Reports that the duke and duchess lived largely separate lives for a period are based on contemporary accounts but were never formalized as a separation or divorce.
- Details of the circumstances surrounding her death have not been released beyond the palace announcement.
Bottom Line
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, combined private charitable work, a musical vocation and discreet public service with a few widely remembered public moments, notably at Wimbledon. Her death marks the passing of a long-standing but understated royal figure whose gestures resonated beyond court protocol.