The Duchess of Kent, oldest member of Britain’s royal family, dies at 92

The Duchess of Kent, the oldest member of Britain’s royal, has died, the family announced on Friday. She was 92.

“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,” the royals said in a message shared on the family’s official social media accounts, adding that King Charles III and Queen Camilla, along with all members of the family, joined her husband the Duke of Kent and his children 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.

“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,” a statement on the royal family’s website said.

The family said she continued playing the piano, organ and violin throughout her life, and noted that, for the last 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.”

Before leaving her official royal duties behind, she spent years teaching music at an elementary school in Hull, a city in her home region of Yorkshire.

The duchess’ death makes her husband, the Duke of Kent, the oldest living member of the British royal family at 89.

Longevity is a family trait. 

Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 at the age of 96, and she was only the fifth longest-living member of her family. Elizabeth was, however, the longest-reining British monarch, having occupied the throne for more than 70 years.

The longest-living British royal family member ever was Princess Alice, the Duchess of Gloucester, who died in October 2004 at the age of 102.