King Charles and Queen Camilla led senior members of the Royal Family at a Service of Thanksgiving today to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. As well as Their Majesties, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence paid their respects.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent were also present. The Duke, 89, is the eldest male member of the Royal Family and has dedicated his life to service. He continues to regularly attend events with other members of the Firm.
Interestingly, though, his life away from the spotlight is incredibly ordinary. He cherishes time with his wife, who hasn’t publicly attended a royal engagement in 12 years.
The Duchess of Kent was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley in 1933 and married Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Prince Edward, in 1961. The couple have three children: George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor, as well as 10 grandchildren.
She spent many years as a key working member of the Royal Family, and played a major role in attending events such as the Ugandan independence celebrations and the coronation of the King of Tonga in 1967. In 2002, the Duchess decided to stop using the ‘Her Royal Highness’ title to allow her more freedom.
Amazingly, she flew so far under the radar that she managed to work as a music teacher at Wansbeck Primary School in Hull for 13 years while still serving in the Royal Family. After a visit to the school in 1996, she offered to help boost the school’s arts teaching and her passion project rocketed from there.
While she has attended family weddings, such as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in 2018, she has not attended an official engagement since the annual Trooping the Colour service in 2013.
The Duchess did not attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral or committal service in 2022, and was also not present for King Charles’s Coronation the following year.
The last time the Duchess was pictured was in 2024 when the Duke of Kent was honoured by three pipers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards to mark his 89th birthday outside their home, Wren House, in the grounds of Kensington Palace.