The Duchess of Kent, who these days prefers to be known as Katharine, is not often seen in public, but this summer she has made some rare appearances, first at the Trooping of the Colour, and then at Royal Ascot. Katharine turned 90 in February - but who is the mysterious member of the Royal Family?
Who is the Duchess of Kent?
Katharine Worsley married Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, in 1961. She is the daughter of Sir William Worsley (who captained the Yorkshire County Cricket Club) and enjoyed an idyllic Yorkshire childhood among the rolling hills, forests and cricket pitches of Hovington Hall, her father's family seat. The photographer Cecil Beaton once described her as ‘the perfect outdoor girl’. When she was 24, she met the Duke of Kent, when he was stationed with his regiment nearby, at a private party (they were keen to get married straight away, but her father asked them to wait). Today, the Duke and Duchess of Kent have three children, Lord Nicholas Windsor, Lady Helen Taylor and George, Earl of St Andrews, and ten grandchildren, including Lady Amelia Windsor — a model at Storm Agency, the same talent agency that scouted Kate Moss, dubbed ‘the most beautiful royal’.
What was the Duchess of Kent wedding like?
Mega. The Queen attended, natch, as well as the Queen Mother, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, who served as a flower girl. There were also royals from Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands and Norway in attendance. It was at this wedding that the future King Juan Carlos of Spain — who famously abdicated and went into exile after a string of financial and extramarital scandals — would meet his royal bride, Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, too.
What did the Duchess of Kent wear for her wedding?
She was a real trendsetter. Katharine had gained global recognition for her sense of fashion, and was often voted one of the world’s best dressed women (she was the first member of the Royal Family to be snapped in a mini skirt). Her wedding dress was a haute 1960s fashion indeed. Designed by John Cavanagh, on the recommendation of her future mother-in-law, Princess Marina, it featured a round neck with fitted sleeves, as well as a full skirt with 15-foot train. ‘There were some concerns that the dress was too awkward and heavy to manoeuvre, with the bride reportedly practising her curtsey multiple times,’ says Tatler’s Rebecca Cope. ‘She borrowed a diamond and pearl tiara from her mother-in-law’s collection, one that had belonged to her husband's grandmother, Queen Mary. The same tiara was later loaned to Katharine’s daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, on her wedding day in 1992.’
Why did the Duchess of Kent step back from Royal life?
Having studied music at Queen’s College, Oxford, alongside French until the age of 25, Katharine ‘was very sad to slowly have to give it up’, she told Sue Lawley on Desert Island Discs in 1989 ‘I hoped music would be my life.’ And eventually, she couldn’t stand being away from her first love. Withdrawing from Royal Duties in 1996, the Duchess took a position as a music teacher in Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull, keeping her royal identity secret from students. She also gave piano lessons in a rented studio flat near her official residence at Kensington Palace.
When was the Duchess of Kent hospitalised?
No. In 1978, the Duchess was hospitalised for several weeks due to ‘nervous strain’. Reports by the BBC stated that the Duchess suffered from coeliac disease and Epstein–Barr virus, whose symptoms resemble those of ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as ‘chronic fatigue syndrome’). She also tragically lost two children in childbirth after a bout of German measles. But in 1997, speaking to The Daily Telegraph from her home in Kensington Palace, where she became friends with Princess Diana, the Duchess insisted she is a 'robust individual' with 'no history of ill health'. According to The Daily Mail, the duke is understood to have consulted the Queen about the possibility of a divorce which, he felt, would be better for them both. The Queen counselled against it, however, and the couple struggled on.
Is the Duchess of Kent Catholic?
In 1994, she became the first member of the Royal family to convert to Catholicism since 1701. She received the approval of the Queen and has said it was a personal decision. She told the 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!'
What request from the Duchess was rejected by Wimbledon?
In 1999, Katharine wanted to bring the 12-year-old son of a bereaved friend to the tennis tournament but the request was rejected by the All England Lawn Tennis Club due to a longstanding rule that children are not allowed in the royal box. The child was offered an alternative seat and the Duchess received a letter from John Curry – then the chief of Wimbledon tennis – reminding her of the rules. She was said to be 'deeply hurt' by the letter and considered boycotting the championships.