The Duchess of Kent dies aged 92, Buckingham Palace announces

The duchess, Katharine, was the oldest member of the Royal Family, married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the palace said: “It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.

“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family.

“The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”

Royal mourning will take place until and including the day of the duchess’s funeral which is set to be announced in due course. The service will be a Catholic one, reflecting the duchess’s wishes.

No further details about the cause of the duchess’s death have been released, but she is understood to have been unwell for some time.

The Duchess and Duke of Kent had three children, but another son was stillborn.

Music was a big part of the life of the duchess and her tastes were eclectic - picking Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus as her favourite piece on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs but also later speaking of her liking for gangsta rap.

In later years, she stepped back from using her royal HRH title and spent more time working to improve music education for young people.

As Katharine Kent, or Mrs Kent, she worked from the mid-1990s as a part-time music teacher at Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull without parents or pupils knowing about her royal background.

She is survived by her husband, the Duke of Kent, aged 89, and their two sons and a daughter.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Duchess of Kent brought “compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did”, as he paid tribute following her death.

He said: “I wish to send my sincere condolences to His Majesty The King and the royal family on the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.

“For many years, she was one of our hardest working royals – supporting our late Queen Elizabeth II in her official duties at home and abroad.

“She brought compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did. Many will remember that moment at the Wimbledon Ladies Final, when she touchingly comforted the runner-up, Jana Novotna.

“Later, when it was discovered she had been giving her time and working anonymously as a music teacher at a school in Hull, it seemed typical of her unassuming nature.

“In so many ways, the duchess sought to help. My thoughts are with her husband, His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, her family and all those whose lives she touched.”

Meanwhile, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell paid tribute to the Duchess of Kent as “an advocate for children and young people’s welfare”, and someone who had “taught and encouraged generations of young musicians”.

He said: “Today, we mourn the death of Katharine, HRH The Duchess of Kent, who was born here in Yorkshire and whose royal wedding was held at York Minster in the city whose freedom she held.“Katharine was an advocate for children and young people’s welfare throughout her life.

“She taught and encouraged generations of young musicians.

“Millions will remember her comfort and kindness exemplified in her embrace of Jana Novotna in the final at Wimbledon, whose patron she was for many years.

“In 1994 her own deep and profound faith led her from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism, a moment the then archbishop of Canterbury described as a ‘personal decision of a devout Christian on a spiritual journey’.

“She was held in high esteem by all who met her and knew her. I pray for the repose of her soul and that HRH The Duke of Kent, their children and all the royal family may know the consolation and comfort that comes from our common Christian faith.

“May she rest in peace and rise in glory.”