NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, has died at the age of 92, the British Royal Family announced Friday.
The Duchess of Kent was married to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Prince Edward, for 64 years. She was the oldest living member of the royal family following Elizabeth’s death.
“It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent,” the Royal Family said in a statement. “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 organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people,” it added.
PRINCE WILLIAM SHIELDED PRINCE GEORGE FROM ROYAL ‘DESTINY’ FOR YEARS TO PROTECT CHILDHOOD: EXPERTS
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, left, and Katharine, Duchess of Kent, leave St Paul’s Cathedral after a national service of thanksgiving to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee in London on June 5, 2012. (Ian Kington/AFP via Getty Images)
The Royal Family said on its website that Katharine was “best known for her appearances at Wimbledon, where she presented the Ladies’ Singles Trophy for many years.”
Katharine, born on Feb. 22, 1933, was “the youngest child and only daughter of the late Sir William Worsley,” a biography of her read.
“From an early age she demonstrated a talent for music. She was taught to play the piano, organ and violin, which she played throughout her life. She worked for some time in a children’s home in York and taught at a nursery/pre-school in London, before going on to Oxford to study music,” according to the Royal Family.
“The Duchess first met Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, when he was stationed at Catterick near Richmond in 1956. Their engagement was announced in March 1961 and they were married in York Minster on 8th June that year,” it continued.
“They had three children and ten grandchildren. The children are George, Earl of St. Andrews; Lady Helen Windsor; and Lord Nicholas Windsor,” it also said.
PRINCE PHILIP GAVE KATE MIDDLETON BLUNT WARNING ABOUT SURVIVING ROYAL LIFE
The Duke and Duchess of Kent attend a service at the base of the Grenfell Tower in west London on June 14, 2018, to mark a year since the devastating fire which claimed 72 lives. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Images via Getty Images)
Following her marriage to Prince Edward, Katharine became a working member of the Royal Family, but she stepped aside from that role in 2002 “to focus on her private and charitable work” in the music sector, the biography said.
“For a number of years, Her Royal Highness taught music at a primary school in Hull. During this time, she recognized that many children and young people of considerable talent needed additional financial support to fulfill their musical potential,” it added. “In 2004, she founded a charity, Future Talent, which aimed to give every child an equal opportunity to excel in music.”
“Through tailor-made partnerships with primary schools, Future Talent brought music into the lives of many children, spotting talent, equipping talented children with instruments and tuition and, in exceptional cases, providing master tuition to enable them to make music their future career,” the biography said.
Czech tennis player Jana Novotna is consoled by British Royal Katharine, Duchess of Kent, after losing the women’s singles final at the 1993 Wimbledon Championships, held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England. (Henning Bangen/Bongarts/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Katharine also “traveled the world for UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Fund) and VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), highlighting specific areas of deprivation” and “in 1999, she visited Cambodia, Macedonia and Nepal.”
Fox News’ Thomas Ferraro contributed to this report.
