THE GUARDIAN: Palace says duchess, who was married to late queen’s cousin, ‘passed away peacefully surrounded by family’
The Duchess of Kent, the first Catholic convert in the royal family for centuries and who was known for presenting numerous Wimbledon trophies and consoling runners up, has died aged 92.
The duchess was married to the late queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent but for decades led a separate life from him.
She will be best remembered for a moment in 1993 when she put her arm around a distraught Jana Novotná after the Czech tennis player narrowly lost the Wimbledon women’s singles final to Steffi Graf. Novotna cried on the duchess’s shoulder after blowing a 4-1 lead in the third set.
During the exchange the duchess, whose husband was president of the All England Club for more than 30 years, told Novotna “I know you can do it”. Five years later the duchess presented her with the winning trophy.
In 1999 the duchess became disenchanted with the Wimbledon authorities when she was refused permission to take the young son of the murdered headteacher Philip Lawrence into the royal box.
The duchess, who preferred to be referred to as Katharine or Mrs Kent, dropped her HRH title when she stepped back from public life in 2002. » | Matthew Weaver | Friday, September 5, 2025
Duchess of Kent dies aged 92: Duchess ‘passed away peacefully’ at Kensington Palace on Thursday night »
The Duchess of Kent, popular member of the Royal family who found her calling quietly helping the vulnerable – obituary: With the Queen’s permission, she stepped back from royal duties and taught in a primary school in Hull under the name of ‘Miss Katharine’ »