Katharine, Duchess of Kent Makes Rare Public Appearance

Katharine, Duchess of Kent is one royal you may not have heard of. Married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent since 1961, the Duchess of Kent has kept a very low profile in recent years.

She is currently the oldest living member of the British royal family, but she is rarely seen in public since she stepped back from her royal duties in 2002. Notably, she did not attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, nor the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.

Here, 5 things to know about the Duchess of Kent:

1. She was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley.

Katharine was born in 1933 at at Hovingham Hall, Yorkshire; she is the daughter of Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet and Joyce Morgan Brunner. She's a descendant of Oliver Cromwell, through Cromwell's youngest daughter, Frances.

2. Katharine married Queen Elizabeth's cousin, Prince Edward, in 1961.

Katharine met Prince Edward when he was stationed at Catterick Camp. At their wedding, she wore the Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara and a dress designed by John Cavanagh, and upon their marriage, she became Duchess of Kent. They have three children: George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.

3. Katharine converted to Catholicism in 1992.

She became the first member of the royal family to convert to Catholicism since the Act of Settlement 1701. Since her husband the Duke of Kent did not convert, he remains in the British line of succession.

"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!" she told the BBC.

4. She stepped back from royal life in 2002.

After many decades serving as a working royal, she gave up her Her Royal Highness (HRH) title in 2002. Two years later, she founded a charity, Future Talent, which aims to give every child an equal opportunity to excel in music.

In 2023, she made a rare appearance at a gala concert at St James's Palace to celebrate the work of Future Talent, and a portrait of the Duchess of Kent was unveiled by her daughter, Lady Helen Taylor.

5. The Duchess quietly taught as a music teacher for over a decade.

"I was just known as Mrs Kent," she said. "Only the head knew who I was. The parents didn’t know and the pupils didn’t know. No one ever noticed. There was no publicity about it at all—it just seemed to work." She loves music, and plays the piano, organ, and violin.

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