CHURCH leaders have paid tribute to the Duchess of Kent after her death, aged 92, was announced by Buckingham Palace.
A statement from the Palace on Friday said that the Duchess, who was married to the late Queen’s cousin, the Duke of Kent, had “passed away peacefully” on Thursday 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 organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people,” it continued.
A requiem mass, to be held on 16 September in Westminster Cathedral, was announced by Buckingham Palace on Sunday. The King and Queen will both attend. The Duchess will be buried at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, in Windsor.
After news of the Duchess’s death was announced, the Archbishop of York said in a statement: “Today, we mourn the death of Katharine, HRH The Duchess of Kent, who was born here in Yorkshire and whose Royal Wedding was held at York Minster in the city whose freedom she held.
“Katharine was an advocate for children and young people’s welfare throughout her life. She taught and encouraged generations of young musicians. Millions will remember her comfort and kindness exemplified in her embrace of Jana Novotna in the final at Wimbledon whose Patron she was for many years.”
The Archbishop went on to speak of her “deep and profound faith”, which, in 1994, “led her from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism”.
The Duchess was received into the RC Church by the then Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Hume, in a private ceremony in the chapel of his house beside Westminster Cathedral (News, 14 January 1994).
A statement from Lambeth Palace and Bishopthorpe at the time quoted the Archbishops as saying: “This is a personal decision of a devout Christian on a spiritual journey. Such journeys quite commonly lead individuals across the denominational boundaries which unfortunately still separate the Christian family, and the traffic is two-way. . . The Duchess retains to the full her special place in our hearts and prayers.”
The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, paid tribute to the Duchess of Kent on Friday. “I recall with fondness her presence in our community, especially her participation in the pilgrimage to Lourdes, as well as her lifetime of public service,” he said in a statement.
“I have written to His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent and assured him of the prayers of the Catholic community in England and Wales. We pray that God will receive her soul into heaven, the promise given to us by Our Lord, Jesus Christ. May Katharine now rest in peace and rise in glory.”
In a statement issued by Downing Street, the Prime Minister described the Duchess as “one of our hardest working royals”, who “brought compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did”. The discovery that she had been “working anonymously as a music teacher at a school in Hull . . . seemed typical of her unassuming nature”, he said.
The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, posted a prayer on X. She described the Duchess as “a woman of compassion, grace, and quiet strength. My heartfelt prayers are with The Duke of Kent and the entire Royal Family as they grieve her loss and celebrate her legacy.”
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Revd Dr David Hoyle, said: “She lived a long life of dedicated public service and private commitment to values that hold us all in community. We give thanks for her quiet witness and pray for those who feel this loss so deeply.”
Prayers would be said in the Abbey, and its flag would fly at half mast, a statement said.
This story was updated on 8 September.