The Duchess of Kent, who famously broke royal protocol to hug a Wimbledon runner-up and stepped away from family duties to teach music in a public school, has died, Buckingham Palace announced Friday. She was 92.
Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, the duchess was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. She died Thursday at her home in Kensington Palace.
The royal presented trophies at Wimbledon for many years and was known for consoling runners-up, most notably when she embraced a tearful Jana Novotna after her defeat by Steffi Graf in 1993.
The duchess, who preferred to be known as Mrs. Kent, stepped back from royal life to teach music for more than a decade at a public school in Hull, in northeast England. The pianist, organist and singer founded the charity Future Talent to break down barriers for young musicians and provide them with instruments.
She was the first royal to convert to Catholicism in over three centuries and volunteered for the suicide-prevention group Samaritans.
King Charles III and the rest of the royal family said in a statement that they mourned the loss and fondly remembered “the Duchess’s lifelong devotion to all the organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”
The flag was lowered to half-staff at Buckingham Palace at noon to pay respect to the duchess.
The duchess was born on Feb. 22, 1933 as the only daughter to aristocrat Col. Sir William Worsley, a baronet, and Lady Worsley of Hovingham Hall, near York.
She married Edward, King George V’s grandson, in a lavish 1961 ceremony.
She leaves Edward and three children, George, Earl of St. Andrews, Lady Helen Windsor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.