Opinion

Katharine, Duchess of Kent: A life of quiet service, faith, and compassion

By 2025-09-08T12:11:00

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Jemimah Wright reflects on the life and faith of Katharine, Duchess of Kent. In her journey through joy, sorrow, and ultimately conversion to Catholicism, the Duchess leaves behind a legacy of humility, service, and steadfast devotion to Christ.

Katharine, Duchess of Kent (née Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley), died at Kensington Palace on 4 September 2025, aged 92. In 1994 she became the first senior British royal publicly received into the Catholic Church since the Act of Settlement of 1701 and therefore her funeral, to be held at Westminster Cathedral on 16 September, will be the first royal Catholic Requiem Mass in modern times - a final testament to her faith journey and legacy.

She born on 22 February 1933 at Hovingham Hall in Yorkshire. She married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, in 1961 at York Minster - the first royal wedding there in over 600 years. From the earliest days of her royal life, she embodied devotion, humility, and a deep love of music.

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