HRH The Duchess of Kent (1933-2025)

[bx...@yahoo.com]

Buckingham Palace has announced the passing of HRH The Duchess of Kent at the age of 92. 

 She died on September 4, 2025.

[bx...@yahoo.com]

She was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley on Feb. 22, 1933, to Sir William WORSLEY, 4th Bt. and his wife Joyce (nee BRUNNER), the daughter of Sir John BRUNNER, 2nd Bt.

The Duchess is survived by her husband of 64 years, HRH The Duke of Kent, their 3 children, George,  styled Earl of St. Andrews (b. 1962), Lady Helen Taylor (b. 1964) and Lord Nicholas Windsor, along with 10 grandchildren. 

Among her grandchildren is Edward, styled Baron Downpatrick, second in the line of succession behind his father, to the Kent dukedom.

As an American, with limited viewing access to members of the Royal Family other than the Queen (and her immediate family), I remember her as the beautfiul woman, with grace and class, who awarded the championship trophy at Wimbledon for many years.

May she rest in peace.

Brooke

[bx...@yahoo.com]

Her nephew, Sir William Ralph WORSLEY, is the 6th Baronet.

Brooke

[BREMENMURRAY]

Her wedding  was the first Royal Wedding at York Minster since Edward III married Phillipa of Hainaut 24 January 1328.Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain was present along with her grandson Juan Carlos and his future wife Sophia.

Rather disastrously the Daily Telegraph states in its Obit  that the Duchess of Kent "was the first non titled person to marry a member of the Royal Family since the days of the Tudors".Yet only the year before Princess Margaret had married Anthony Armstrong Jones who was still non titled at this June 1961 wedding.

Also James II married Anne Hyde and Edward VIII married Wallis Simpson

[Henry W]

(Re-posted - correcting a date error)

At the time of her death was she the 6th oldest living spouse of a QVD?

I worked from Colin's 2019 list (which does not include those who are themselves QVDs) and then googled to remove several who have died in the intervening years.  Some might be difficult to pin down, and I have indicated additional names that seem to be indicated from my searching.

This is the list I think are still living:

1.    Douglas Barton Miller (widower of Princess Marie Alexandra of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg) b 8 December 1929

2.   Baron Victor von Baillou (second husband of Archduchess Alexandra of Austria-Tuscany) b 27 June 1931

3.    Karl-Anton Bauscher (husband of Princess Mechtilde of Leiningen) b 26 August 1931

4.    Count Rudolf von Schonburg-Glauchau (separated? husband of Princess Marie-Louise of Prussia) b 25 September 1932

5.    Princess Maria Luisa of Bulgaria, Mrs Chrobok) (formerly of Leiningen) (divorced wife of Prince Karl of Leiningen) b 13 January 1933

    The Duchess of Kent (nee Worsley) (wife of the Duke of Kent) b 22 February 1933 (died 4 Sept 2025)

6.    Princess Maria-Hildegard of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (nee Fischer) (widow of Prince Albrecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg) b 30 November 1933

7.    Friedrich Sandhofer (widower of Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria-Tuscany) 1 August 1934

[colinp]

Baron Victor von Baillou died 10 Nov 2023 aged 92 years 136 days.  Otherwise I believe your list is correct

[malcolm davies]

I note you have left out actual QVD descendants but it is worth mentioning Princess Astrid of Norway and King Albert II are in this age group.

[BREMENMURRAY]

Surprisingly her final public engagement  was as recent as 8 June 2023.

King Albert is not a descendant of Queen Victoria 

[colinp]

The Duchess was also seen in a wheelchair in the photos of the event on 9 Oct 2024 when pipers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards played outside Wren House, Kensington Palace to mark the Duke of Kent's 89th birthday. Prince Michael of Kent and Lord Nicholas Windsor were also present.

[BREMENMURRAY]

Tributes to the Duchess of Kent at Prime Ministers Questions this week