The Duke of Kent’s appearance at Wimbledon on the opening day of
this year’s Championships carried an added poignancy as it marked
his first visit to the All England Club since the death of his
wife, Katharine, the Duchess of Kent.
The Duchess died in September 2025 at the age of 92, bringing to
an end one of the Royal Family’s longest and most distinctive
partnerships. For generations of tennis fans, she became one of the
defining faces of Wimbledon, presenting trophies to champions and
offering moments of warmth that became part of the tournament’s
history.
On Monday, the Duke took his place in the Royal Box on Centre
Court as Wimbledon got underway, accompanied by Lady Susan Hussey.
While the Championships looked much as they always do, there was an
unmistakable sense that one of its most familiar figures was
missing.
For decades, the Duchess of Kent was synonymous with Wimbledon.
As patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, she
regularly presented the trophies to the men’s and women’s singles
champions. Her compassion was perhaps best remembered in 1993 when
she comforted Jana Novotná after the Czech player broke down in
tears following her heartbreaking defeat to Steffi Graf in the
Ladies’ Singles Final. The image remains one of Wimbledon’s most
enduring moments.
Yet Katharine was never a conventional royal.
After marrying Prince Edward at York Minster in 1961, she became
one of the busiest members of the Royal Family, undertaking
engagements across the United Kingdom and around the world.
However, in the 1990s she chose a very different path.
In 1994, she was received into the Roman Catholic Church, having
first discussed the decision with Queen Elizabeth II. Soon
afterwards, she gradually withdrew from royal duties before
embarking on an altogether different career as a music teacher at a
primary school in Hull.
For ten years, pupils knew her simply as “Mrs Kent”, unaware
they were being taught by a duchess. It was a role she embraced
with characteristic humility, later joking that she had “ended up
teaching in Hull”.
Her desire for a quieter life extended to her royal status. In
2002, she formally asked Queen Elizabeth II if she could stop using
the style of “Her Royal Highness”, preferring instead to be known
simply as Katharine Kent.
When Buckingham Palace announced her death, The King and Queen
led tributes, praising her lifelong devotion to charitable causes,
her love of music and her empathy for young people.
Although the Duchess had stepped away from public life many
years before her death, her connection with Wimbledon never faded.
For countless spectators, she remained one of the tournament’s most
recognisable royal figures.