Katharine
Duchess of Kent
Spouse	The Duke of Kent
Issue
George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews Lady Helen Taylor Lord Nicholas Windsor
Full name
Katharine Lucy Mary[1]
Detail Titles
HRH The Duchess of Kent Miss Katharine Worsley
Royal house	House of Windsor
Father	Sir William Worsley, 4th Bt.
Mother	Joyce Morgan
Born	February 22, 1933 (1933-02-22) (age 74) Hovingham Hall, Yorkshire
Occupation	Music Teacher

The Duchess of Kent (Katharine Lucy Mary; born Worsley, 22 February 1933) is a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V and cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... Field Marshal Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Patrick Paul; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942. ... George Philip Nicholas Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (b. ... Lady Helen Marina Lucy Taylor (born 28 April 1964), a member of the British royal family, The House of Windsor. ... The Lord Nicholas Windsor is a member of the British Royal Family. ... A Royal House or Dynasty is a sort of family name used by royalty. ... The House of Windsor, previously called the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, is the Royal House of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the other Commonwealth Realms. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Hovingham Hall is a Palladian-style mansion in the village of Hovingham, North Yorkshire, the home of the Worsley family and the childhood home of the Duchess of Kent. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony The British Royal Family is a shared royal family. ... Field Marshal Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Patrick Paul; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

The Duchess of Kent gained attention for her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1994, the first senior royal convert publicly since the passing of the Act of Settlement 1701. The Duchess of Kent is strongly associated with the world of music, and has performed as a member of several choirs. She is also well-known as the presenter of trophies at the annual Wimbledon lawn tennis championships – a role she inherited from her mother-in-law, Princess Marina. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Act of Settlement The Electress Sophia of Hanover The Act of Settlement (12 & 13 Wm 3 c. ... Wimbledon logo The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as simply Wimbledon, is the oldest and arguably most prestigious event in the sport of tennis. ... This article is about the sport, tennis. ... Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (13 December 1906 - 27 August 1968), the former Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, was the last foreign-born princess to date to marry into the British Royal Family. ...

The Duchess's warm and informal manner has won her many admirers. She prefers to be known in her private life as Katharine Kent, and in 2002, she voluntarily gave up the style of Royal Highness, though she continues to be styled as such in the Court Circular. She also has expressed a preference for being known formally as Katharine, Duchess of Kent, a style usually reserved for divorced peeresses. The Court Circular is the official record of all the engagements carried out by the British Royal Family, as well as appointments to their staff and to the court. ...

Early life

Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley was born at Hovingham Hall, Yorkshire, and was the only daughter of Sir William Arthrington Worsley, Bt., and his wife, Joyce Morgan, daughter of Sir John Fowler Brunner, Bt. and granddaughter of Sir John Tomlinson Brunner, Bt., the founder of Brunner Mond, which later became ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries). Hovingham Hall is a Palladian-style mansion in the village of Hovingham, North Yorkshire, the home of the Worsley family and the childhood home of the Duchess of Kent. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Colonel Sir William Arthington Worsley, 4th Baronet (born 5 April 1890 at Hovingham Hall, Yorkshire; died 4 December 1973 at Hovingham Hall) was a cricketer who captained Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1928 and 1929, his only seasons of first-class cricket. ... Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner, 2nd Baronet (24 May 1865 – 16 January 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician. ... Sir John Tomlinson Brunner was a British industrialist, and the grandfather of HRH The Duchess of Kent. ... Brunner Mond is a British-based chemical company that is part of Tata Chemicals Limited, a subsidary of the Tata Group of India. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

She was educated at Queen Margaret's School near York and at Runton Hill School in Norfolk. At school she was introduced to music, and was taught to play the piano, organ and violin, which she still plays today. She later worked for some time in a children's home in York and worked at a nursery school in London. She failed to gain admission to the Royal Academy of Music but followed her brothers to Oxford, where they were at the University, to study at Miss Hubler's Finishing School, 22 Merton Street, devoting much of her time to music. York is a city in North Yorkshire, England, at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss. ... Norfolk (IPA: //) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... Child picking up book. ... The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) is a constituent college of the University of London, and is one of the worlds leading music institutions. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The University of Oxford (usually abbreviated as Oxon. ... Merton Street is a historic and picturesque cobbled lane in central Oxford, England. ...

Marriage

On 8 June 1961, she married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the eldest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, at York Minster. After her marriage she was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent. is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Field Marshal Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Patrick Paul; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942. ... The Prince George, Duke of Kent (George Edward Alexander Edmund) (20 December 1902–25 August 1942) was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of King George V. He held the title of Duke of Kent from 1934 to his death in 1942. ... Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (13 December 1906 - 27 August 1968), the former Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, was the last foreign-born princess to date to marry into the British Royal Family. ... York Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe and is situated in the city of York in Northern England. ...

The Duke and Duchess of Kent have three children:

• George Philip Nicholas Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews, (born 26 June 1962);
• Lady Helen Taylor, (born 28 April 1964);
• Lord Nicholas Windsor, (born 25 July 1970).

British Royalty
Royal Family
HM The Queen
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
HRH The Prince of Wales HRH The Duchess of Cornwall HRH Prince William of Wales HRH Prince Henry of Wales HRH The Duke of York HRH Princess Beatrice of York HRH Princess Eugenie of York HRH The Earl of Wessex HRH The Countess of Wessex Lady Louise Windsor HRH The Princess Royal HRH The Duke of Gloucester HRH The Duchess of Gloucester HRH The Duke of Kent HRH The Duchess of Kent HRH Prince Michael of Kent HRH Princess Michael of Kent HRH Princess Alexandra This box: view • talk • edit

The couple also had a stillborn child in 1977, a loss that caused the Duchess to fall into a state of severe depression, which she has spoken about publicly. George Philip Nicholas Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (b. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lady Helen Marina Lucy Taylor (born 28 April 1964), a member of the British royal family, The House of Windsor. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The Lord Nicholas Windsor is a member of the British Royal Family. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The British monarchy is a shared monarchy; this article describes the monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ... Members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony The British Royal Family is a shared royal family. ... Image File history File links Royal_Standard_of_England. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Sleeping Beauty character (actually spelled Phillip), see Sleeping Beauty (1959 film). ... The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George[2]; born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Rosemary; formerly Parker Bowles; née Shand, born 17 July 1947) is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the thrones of the United Kingdom and the other 15 Commonwealth Realms. ... “Prince William” redirects here. ... Prince Henry of Wales (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984), commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and his first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. ... The Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British Royal Family, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Duke of York since 1986. ... Princess Beatrice of York (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary; born 8 August 1988) is a member of the British Royal Family. ... Princess Eugenie of York (Eugenie Victoria Helena; born 23 March 1990) is a member of the British Royal Family and a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Eugenie is sixth in the Line of succession to the British Throne and has been since her birth in 1990. ... The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, KG, KCVO, SOM (Edward Antony Richard Louis Mountbatten-Windsor; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British Royal Family, the youngest child and third son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Earl of Wessex since 1999. ... The Countess of Wessex (Sophie Helen; neé Rhys-Jones, born 20 January 1965), is a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... The Lady Louise Windsor (Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary; born 8 November 2003) is a member of the British Royal Family. ... The Princess Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British Royal Family and the only daughter of Elizabeth II. She is the seventh holder of the title Princess Royal, and is currently ninth in the line of succession to the British... Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO (Richard Alexander Walter George Windsor; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of King George V. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his fathers death in 1974. ... The Duchess of Gloucester (born 20 June 1946), is a member of the British Royal Family, the wife of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a grandchild of King George V. The Duchess of Gloucester, with her husband, undertakes royal duties on behalf of the Dukes cousin, Queen Elizabeth II... Field Marshal Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (Edward George Nicholas Patrick Paul; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942. ... Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO (Michael George Charles Franklin Windsor; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary. ... Princess Michael of Kent (née Baroness Marie-Christine Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945), is a member of the British Royal Family. ... Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936), is a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George V. She was married to the late Sir Angus Ogilvy. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

Roman Catholicism

The Duchess of Kent was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1994. This was a personal decision, and she received the approval of the Queen. As she explained in an interview on 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!" Basil Cardinal Hume, then Archbishop of Westminster and thus spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, warned the Church against triumphalism over the Duchess' conversion. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... George Basil Cardinal Hume OSB, OM, MA, STL (March 2, 1923—June 17, 1999) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The standard of the Archbishop of Westminster The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, England. ... Papal Coat-of-Arms Westminster Cathedral The Catholic Church in England and Wales is part of the worldwide Catholic Church. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Supremacism. ...

Although the Act of Settlement 1701 means a member of the Royal Family marrying a Catholic relinquishes their right of succession to the British throne, the Act does not include marriage to an Anglican who subsequently becomes a Catholic. Therefore, the Duke of Kent did not lose his place in the line of succession to the British throne. Act of Settlement The Electress Sophia of Hanover The Act of Settlement (12 & 13 Wm 3 c. ... The line of succession to the British Throne (and, by extension, the thrones of the fifteen other commonwealth realms) is determined by male primogeniture, whereby the eldest son of the incumbent inherits the throne. ...

Since then her younger son, Lord Nicholas Windsor, and her grandson, Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick, have also become Catholics. Her older son, the Earl of St. Andrews, father of Lord Downpatrick, is married to a Catholic and thus has been excluded from the succession. Edward Edmund Maximilian George Windsor, Baron Downpatrick (b. ...

Later years

The Duchess of Kent decided to relinquish her royal style in 2002 and reduce the amount of royal duties she carries out. She became the second person in the royal family to do so (the first being Princess Patricia of Connaught). Since then she has been informally known as Katharine Kent. Her formal style remains HRH The Duchess of Kent however, and this is how she is styled in the Court Circular. However, when she made a formal appearance to hand out awards at the BBC's Young Musician of the Year competition in 2002, she asked the organizers to introduce her as "Katharine, Duchess of Kent." Princess Patricia of Connaught (Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth; later Lady Patricia Ramsay; 17 March 1886 – 12 January 1974) was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. ... The Court Circular is the official record of all the engagements carried out by the British Royal Family, as well as appointments to their staff and to the court. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ...

In line with her less formal role, the Duchess took a position as a music teacher in Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull. In 2005 the Duchess spoke in an interview on BBC Radio 3 of her liking of rap music and of the singer/songwriter, Dido, whose record, Thank You, she chose as one of her favourite pieces of music. Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Dido on the cover of her CD single White Flag Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong (born December 25, 1971 in London) is a British pop singer who performs under her first name Dido. ... Thank You is a single by Dido released in 2001. ...

The Duchess has been dogged by press reports that she and her husband have lived apart for many years and that they intend to divorce; however, the divorce reports have not been substantiated. Reports by the BBC have stated that the Duchess suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, while the Mail on Sunday reported that she suffers from depression. She has a long history of ill-health, much of which went misdiagnosed for most of her life. By 1999 she had apparently completely recovered, and when asked by the Daily Mail what had suddenly changed, she simply answered, without elaboration, that she had been suffering unknowingly from Coeliac Disease (a serious and potentially debilitating auto-immune disease in which a variety of diverse symptoms can be triggered by the ingestion of the protein Gluten). She stepped down from her role as head of the M.E. Society in the UK after this new diagnosis, and has since energetically worked with various charities and schools. When asked by the Daily Mail in 1999 about her long history of illness, her reply was simply that "none of us goes through life unscathed." The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one of several names given to a poorly understood, highly debilitating disorder of uncertain etiology, which is thought to affect approximately 4 per 1,000 adults[1] in the United States and other industrialized countries, and a smaller fraction of adolescents. ... The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition the Mail on Sunday are British newspapers, first published in 1896. ... Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or unipolar depression when compared to bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ... Coeliac disease or celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small bowel that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals in all age groups after early infancy. ...

The effects of her undiagnosed disease gained her the reputation among Royalist circles as a "malingerer" who was routinely unwilling to perform basic public duties either owing to laziness or to benign mental illness. The eventual proof that she was in fact, suffering a legitimate physical illness and her subsequent full recovery has apparently done little to mitigate this negative perception. The Royal Family's rejection of her is thought to be a major reason she has in turn distanced herself from them (including her own husband) over the years, and is possibly why she insists on being called "Katharine Kent" or even "Katharine Worsley" in private life. It is also believed that it was her (unjustly assessed) example which especially hardened the Royals against Princess Diana when the latter began to have emotional difficulties. The Queen Mother reportedly expressed a sentiment akin to "Not again!" (referring to Katharine Kent) when faced with Princess Diana's inability to live up to the Royal Family's expectations. Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor, née Spencer) (1 July 1961–31 August 1997), commonly, but incorrectly, known as Princess Diana, was for fifteen years the wife of HRH The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. ... HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (née Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite) (4 August 1900 - 30 March 2002) was the Queen consort of George VI of the United Kingdom from 1936 to 1952. ...

Though now fully recovered through following a Gluten-free diet, she reportedly still suffers bouts of depression. As she told the BBC in 2004, when asked to comment on rumours about her having been depressed, "Aren't we all? We all get slightly low periods in our lives, don't we?" In 1998, she told an interviewer about her lack of confidence. "I can still be very shy walking into a room full of strangers," she said. "I know how to do it, but I have never gained confidence. It is one of the reasons I am always trying to boost other people's self-esteem – because I know what it's like not to have it."

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles

• 22 February 1933-8 June 1961: Miss Katharine Worsley
• 8 June 1961-: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent

is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Styles

• 1990s-: Katharine Kent
• 2002-: Katharine, Duchess of Kent

For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

Honours

• GCVO: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 9 June 1977
• Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Victoria founded the Royal Victorian Order. ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... The Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II is a high honour bestowed as a mark of personal esteem on titled female members of the British Royal Family for personal service to Queen Elizabeth II. It is not automatically awarded. ...

Honorary military appointments

• Honorary Major-General, British Army
• Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of Adjutant General's Corps
• Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of Royal Dragoon Guards
• Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, of Royal Logistic Corps

The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Adjutant Generals Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services. ... The Royal Dragoon Guards is an armoured regiment of the British Army. ... The Royal Logistic Corps is the British Army corps that provides the logistic support for the Army. ...

External links

• Royal.gov.uk- The Duchess of Kent
• BBC News- Duchess of Kent joins the Catholic Church

References

1. ^ As a titled royal, Katharine holds no surname, but, when one is used, it is Windsor