Katharine, Duchess of Kent and Queen Elizabeth II’s Were Related, but Were Very Different

In September 2025, the British Royal Family suffered another tragic loss in their family. On Sept. 5, it was announced that Katharine, Duchess of Kent, died at age 92.

The Duchess of Kent, born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, was born in Yorkshire in 1933 and was the oldest living member of the Royal Family, a title that had been occupied by the late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September 2022.

Throughout their time in the Firm, Katharine and Elizabeth connected through their family ties. But how were the two related? Here are the details of their family tree.

Katharine and Queen Elizabeth were related through marriage. The duchess married Elizabeth's first cousin, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent. Katharine married the Duke in 1961, and they had three children: Lady Helen Taylor, Lord Nicholas Windsor, and George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews. According to The Guardian, the couple led separate lives throughout their marriage. Katharine reportedly didn't even go by her Duchess title and often went by Katharine or Mrs. Kent in public.

Though they were first cousins, Katharine and Queen Elizabeth took different approaches to their royal titles. The Duchess opted out of her royal duties in 2002, a move that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, would explore nearly two decades later after she married Prince Harry in 2018. Duchess Katharine was also the first British royal to convert publicly to Catholicism in 1995, despite centuries-old laws which stipulated only Protestants, and people married to Protestants, could succeed to the crown.

Despite their differences, Katharine's relationship with Queen Elizabeth II was seemingly respectful and loving until their final days. However, when Elizabeth passed away, Mrs. Kent surprised the family's followers by not attending her first cousin-in-law's funeral. According to ABC News, Katharine's absence resulted in a series of other notable absences from the public eye, as she also famously missed Queen Elizabeth's son, King Charles III's coronation.

Katharine's lack of public appearances had become normalized during her final years. Although a cause of death hasn't been revealed, according to the Royal Family's official statement on her death, she didn't suffer in the last moments of her life.

"It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent," the statement read. "Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family."

The statement added that the family wanted to focus on the parts of Katharine's legacy that she loved the most.

"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."