The Princess of Wales is bringing her carol service back for another year – and this time, Kate Middleton is paying a sweet tribute to one special member of the royal family.
Taking place on the 5 December and airing on Christmas Eve, Kate’s annual Christmas carol concert has become a festive tradition since it’s beginning in 2021. This year’s theme is all around love – and there’ll be one member of the royal family who will have a special mention. The ceremony is set to honour the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who passed away earlier this year. A palace statement revealed that guests at Westminster Abbey will hear music from young performers from Future Talent – a group co-founded by the Duchess in 2004, focused on bringing music to children from low-income backgrounds.
Who is the Duchess of Kent? Here’s everything to know about the mysterious royal who left the palace behind to persue a career in teaching.
Who was the Duchess of Kent?
Katharine Worsley married Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, in 1961. She was 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). Together, the pair went on to welcome three children – Lord Nicholas Windsor, Lady Helen Taylor and George, Earl of St Andrews. They shared 10 grandchildren, too, including Lady Amelia Windsor – a model at Storm Agency.
When did the Duchess of Kent die?
The Duchess of Kent passed away peacefully on 4 September 2025, aged 92 years old. Her death was announced by Buckingham Palace the following day, with her funeral held on 16 September.
Saying she was a ‘much missed member of the family,’ the Prince and Princess of Wales noted in a tribute that Katharine had ‘worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music.’
What was the Duchess of Kent’s wedding like?
Katharine and her husband Prince Edward, Duke of Kent ©Getty
In true royal fashion, their wedding was an event like no other. The Queen attended, 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?
Katharine had gained global recognition for her sense of fashion and was often voted one of the world’s best dressed women (after all, she was the first member of the Royal Family to be snapped in a mini skirt). Of course, 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? Her teaching career explained
Having studied music and French at Queen’s College, Oxford, 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.’
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 with the alias ‘Mrs Kent’. She also gave piano lessons in a rented studio flat near her official residence at Kensington Palace.
The Duchess of Kent with Prince Charles ©Getty
Was the Duchess of Kent hospitalised?
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.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph from her home in Kensington Palace, where she became friends with Princess Diana, the Duchess insisted she was a ‘robust individual’ with ‘no history of ill health’.
Is the Duchess of Kent Catholic?
In 1994, Katharine 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 – however, 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.
