Katharine, Duchess of Kent, has died aged 92, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the duchess "passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family."
On June 8, 1961, she married Prince Edward, a grandson of King George V, at York Minster - the first royal marriage in that location in 633 years.
The couple lived together at Wren House, Kensington Palace, in London.
Katharine leaves behind three children and 10 grandchildren, including popular model Lady Amelia Windsor.
The couple's three children are George, Earl of St Andrews, 63, Lady Helen Taylor, 61, and Lord Nicholas Windsor, 55.
Katharine leaves behind three children and 10 grandchildren, including popular model Lady Amelia Windsor.
|PA
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, was the music-loving royal who captivated Wimbledon crowds as the tournament's trophy presenter.
She made history, converting to Roman Catholicism, defying centuries-old traditions, and quietly taught piano to underprivileged schoolchildren.
Her childhood was unusual for a royal - born in Yorkshire in 1933 with ancestral ties to Oliver Cromwell, who was responsible for overthrowing King Charles I, she received no formal education until she was 10.
She fell in love with music and, after school, worked in a children's home and as a nursery teacher.
Her life changed dramatically when she met Prince Edward, the late Queen's cousin. They married in 1961 in a grand ceremony at York Minster - the first royal wedding there in over 600 years.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent had three children together. She also tragically suffered a miscarriage after contracting rubella.
Then, in 1977, her son, Patrick, was stillborn. She plunged into deep depression, and later spoke openly about her experiences - one of the first members of the Royal Family to break royal taboos and raise public awareness.
But it was Wimbledon where she showed moments of genuine humanity. In 1993, she comforted a tearful Jana Novotna after the Czech tennis player lost the women's final.
In 1993, she comforted a tearful Jana Novotna after the Czech tennis player lost the women's final.
|GETTY
The Duchess whispered: "Don't worry, you'll win it one day" - and she did, five years later, hugging The Duchess on Centre Court.
Katherine became the first senior member of the Royal Family to publicly convert to Catholicism since the Act of Settlement, which bars Catholics from the line of succession.
She converted with Queen Elizabeth's permission, who saw it as a personal matter of faith.
Music wasn't just a passion; it inspired her charity work.
A talented pianist, organist, and violinist, she founded Future Talent in 2004, a charity providing music scholarships and opportunities to talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
In that spirit, she spent 13 years as simply "Mrs Kent" - teaching music at a deprived Hull primary school. She maintained her royal anonymity.
Katherine became the first senior member of the Royal Family to publicly convert to Catholicism since the Act of Settlement, which bars Catholics from the line of succession.
|GETTY
She held several royal patronages, advocating for inclusive arts education and, in 2016, hosted a concert at Buckingham Palace for young people.
Before stepping back from full-time royal duties in 2002, she represented Queen Elizabeth across the world, including Uganda, Australia and Sierra Leone.
But chronic fatigue syndrome meant public appearances in later life were rare.
She attended the wedding of the future Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's in 2018.
But, she skipped Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations and her funeral in 2022, as well as King Charles’s Coronation the following year.
Her final public appearance was last October at Kensington Palace, to watch the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards honour The Duke of Kent’s 89th birthday.
More From GB News