Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, died on Sept. 4 at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family
NEED TO KNOW
- Kate Middleton and Prince William shared a personal statement following the death of Katharine, the Duchess of Kent
- “She will be a much missed member of the family,” the Prince and Princess of Wales said
- The Duchess of Kent is survived by her husband, Queen Elizabeth’s cousin the Duke of Kent, and their three children
Kate Middleton and Prince William are saying goodbye to a “much missed member of the family.”
After Buckingham Palace announced the death of Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, on Sept. 5, the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, shared their own statement via their social media pages.
In white text against a black background, the message was topped with Prince William and Princess Kate’s joint monogram.
“Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas,” they wrote, referring to the late royal’s husband and their three children. “The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music.”
“She will be a much missed member of the family,” they concluded, signing the note with their first initials of “W & C,” indicating that the message came directly from them.
A message from The Prince and Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/0VPYJr8j4Z
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 5, 2025
The Duchess of Kent, who was 92 at the time of her death on Sept. 4, had a connection with the Prince and Princess of Wales through Wimbledon. The late royal was known for comforting losing Wimbledon finalists with hugs, and she attended the tennis tournament alongside Princess Diana and a young Prince William in 1994.
The Duchess of Kent, Princess Diana and Prince William attend Wimbledon in July 1994.
Princess Kate is now the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and regularly presents the trophies at Wimbledon, a task previously handled by the Duke of Kent.
The Duchess of Kent was also an attendee at Prince William and Princess Kate’s 2011 wedding.
Katharine Worsley joined the British royal family upon her 1961 wedding to Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent. The couple had three children: George, Earl of St. Andrews, Lady Helen Windsor and Lord Nicholas Windsor. The Duchess of Kent also spoke openly about experiencing a miscarriage as well as giving birth to a stillborn son.
Although she stepped back from royal duties in 1996, instead opting to teach music at a primary school, she would sometimes join the royals at events such as Trooping the Colour.
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… pic.twitter.com/OsCeb3pQ7d
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 5, 2025
Buckingham Palace announced the Duchess of Kent’s death “with deep sorrow” in a statement on Sept. 5.
“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,” they said. “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.”
