The Duchess of Kent is DEAD TO ME

Major gaffe in that article. The Queen referred to Princess Michael of Kent as "our Val," not the Duchess of Kent. Princess Michael is German while the Duchess was English, so calling the Duchess a Valkyrie doesn't make sense.

Another barnacle gone.

Hate the royals but she was a gem. Such lovely moment with losing finalist, Jana Novotna, at Wimbledon back in the 90s

Didn't know she was separated from her husband or that she was on the outs with the rest of the Firm.

Was she the Meghan of her day?

[quote] Was she the Meghan of her day?

No, after she pulled back from royal duties, Katharine lived a low-key life, not drawing attention to herself, quietly teaching music at a state primary school.

I applaud her for giving up her title.

She seemed to really love tennis and thrilled to be there and greet the players after the final.

Can I have her things?

A really nice obit from the BBC...

Just a kind and loving woman:

There should be a rule that for every new royal who is born, one must be removed like this.

She was not a royal. She just used to be married to one.

Is Princess Michael ok?

Has Susan Dey commented yet? Or Darren Day? One of them should really say something.

I don't think she was at all estranged from the royal family. She just was no longer with her husband and didn't want to be much in the public eye any longer.

In prior generations, many members of the royal family had at least some amateur appreciation of the arts or intellectual pursuits. And, those who didn't usually had hobbies, like horses. Harry and William and their spouses seem to be complete non-entities.

R14. I believe she was lovely, but no condolences at this time.

She was a lovely person. RIP

The Duchess of Kent Dies Aged 92

Her son was Lord Freddie, once a rather louche-looking youth, now a bald financial analyst.

He’s her grandson. His mother is Princess Michael.

Edward, the Duke of Kent was considered so dependable that the royal family referred to him as "Steady Eddie." He was not a handsome man, and married out of his league looks-wise when he married Katharine Worsley. She stopped living with him more than twenty years ago but they never divorced.

Actually, r19, Freddie Windsor is not the late Duchess's son but her nephew--he is the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Katharine's children are George, the Earl of St. Andrews; Lady Helen Taylor; and Lord Nicholas Windsor.

Her son was not Lord Freddie.

Oh, ever mind—I was confusing him with the distinctly non-louche Lord Nicholas Windsor.

Is this the chick from Blackamoorgate?

No, r24--yet again that was Princess Michael of Kent, the Duchess of Kent's German sister-in-law.

Didn’t the family refer to her as “Poor Mad Kate Kent” because she had postpartum depression in the 70s?

I lost track there were two sets of Kents. Mr. & Mrs. Duke and Mr. & Mrs. Prince Michael and in this case the Duke outranks the Prince. Plus some sisters.

It’s rather confusing.

She did have severe postpartum in the 70s when she had a stillbirth, r26, but I think the idea the royal family referred to her as "Poor Mad Kate Kent" is almost salacious embellishment among gossipy gay courtiers.

I would bet good money Elizabeth II and Prince Philip never once referred to her as such.

And don’t get me started on the Gloucesters.

[quote] is almost salacious embellishment among gossipy gay courtiers.

Sorry, that should read "is almost certainly a salacious embellishment used among gossipy gay courtiers."

No, they probably referred to her as The Catholic.

The Duchess suffered from severe depression after suffering a miscarriage and, a year or two later, enduring another pregnancy which ended in her giving birth to a stillborn baby. She fell into a depression which would grip her for years. Ultimately, she decided that her life would be better lled largely out of the spotlight. She converted to catholicism and withdrew from royal life, but she never said a word against the Royal Family and remained with her husband until the end. She found contentment and purpose by taking a job working as a music teacher in a state school in the north of England, where she was known to colleagues as Kate and to children as Mrs Kent.

It’s to her great credit that she turned her own depression and personal suffering into a concern and great compassion for others. Amongst other things she is well-known for the help she gave to Martina Navratilova after the latter’s defection from Czechoslovakia. After meeting her at Wimbledon, she learned that Martina’s mother was never allowed to watch her play because the Czech government refused to televise her games and also forbade her mother from leaving the country. After hearing this, the Duchess lobbied the Czech government to allow the mother and daughter to be reunited, and Martina’s mother was given permission to travel to Wimbledon the next year.

The Duchess famously had a close interest in Wimbledon, but she did come close to shunning the whole tournament after the UK tennis authorities refused to allow her to bring a special guest: the young son of a murdered teacher who the Duchess had befriended.

Because some of you seem confused:

George V and Queen Mary had six children: Prince Edward (known to the family as "David"), the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII; Prince Albert George (known to the family as "Bertie"), who later became George VII and was the father of Elizabeth II; Princess Mary, who became the princess Royal and married the Earl of Harewood; Prince Henry, who became Duke of Gloucester; Prince George, who became Duke of Kent; and Prince John, who had developmental disabilities and who died in childhood.

Prince George (who was considered the handsomest among his brothers) became Duke of Kent when he married Princess Maria of Greece. They had three children before he died in a plane crash in WW2.

The eldest child of George and Marina, Prince Edward, then succeeded his father as Duke of Kent, a position he still occupies. He married Katharine Worsley, the woman who became Duchess of Kent and who just died.

The middle child of George and Marina, Princess Alexandra of Kent, is a Datalounge favorite and also a favorite among the royal family,. She married the Honourable Angus Ogilvy.

The youngest child of George and Marina, Prince Michael of Kent, married the Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, who became on her marriage Princess Michael of Kent. She's the one who infamously wore the blackamoor pin to her meeting with Meghan Markle before the latter's marriage.

Edward, Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Michael all have the titles of HRH, and as wives of princes with that title, so did Katharine, Duchess of Kent and so does Princess Michael of Kent. But their children do not have the styling of HRH and even the eldest sons will not inherit it when their father dies (though the Duke of kent's eldest son will become Duke of Kent).

R33, I really miss our BRF threads.

So, Prince David became King Edward and then Duke of Windsor, Prince Albert became King George, and Prince George became the Duke of Kent. Makes perfect sense.

I forgot to mention that Prince Albert was Duke of York before he became King George.

Classy dame.

RIP

[quote]R24 Is this the chick from Blackamoorgate?

[quote]R25 No, yet again that was Princess Michael of Kent

Well, did this one speak out AGAINST Blackamoorgate, at least?

[italic]If you see something, say something.

I heard she was the one who asked about the color of the baby.

Unlikely since she kept her distance. She may not have met Meghan.

Well, we haven’t met Meghan, either, but we still talk about her (ad naseum, some might say…)

WHAT WAS SHE AFRAID OF??

WHY DID SHE STAY SILENT??

At the very least, I doubt she asked whether Meghan was okay.

Nor did she teach Meghan the National Anthem, which, as the musician of the royal family, she ought to have done.

Have her last words been reported? Maybe they were about Meghan. Finally.

From the photos, she appears to be a VERY white women, which already raises my suspicions.

Lovely, graceful woman who never complained .

[quote]R46 From the photos, she appears to be a VERY white women, which already raises my suspicions.

She could have been the Stealth Ringleader of the whole #DownWithMeghan campaign. Years of quiet machinations behind the scenes - -

This will be my final post on the topic, as I don’t want to be targeted for blowing this whole story wide open.

Speaking of ancient not quite royals, is Baroness Glenconnel still with us? Between being a lady-in-waiting to Margaret and being married to a crazy Baron, her life was never dull.

Baroness Glenconnel is not an actual person.

Will her nephew Clark fly in for the funeral???

Is that baroness the one who kept demanding of Meghan, “But where are you FROM?!” at that reception?

No, r52, that was one of Meghan’s many invited celeb guests, none of whom had ever met her before.

… and the abject cruelty still abounds …

Oh yes! That was a totally different lady in waiting!

[quote]The late Queen's lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey has apologised and resigned after she repeatedly asked a black British charity boss where she was "really" from... A spokesperson for Prince William said "racism has no place in our society".

There was a thread recently were the world premier for the film Born Free was mentioned. The three young actresses were so well groomed with their beautiful gowns and long gloves.

The Queen attended the premiere along with the Duchess of Kent and they were just so fabulously glamorous. White furs, diamond tiaras and dazzling smiles. Of course it was a different era.

It's with mentioned that when she became a music teacher at a primary school it was in Hull, a poor and deprived city far away from London. None of the pupils knew of her background, neither did their parents or the other teachers at the school. The only person who knew was the headmaster of the school. There was not a single mention in the press, and she did this for 13 years.

Compare this to the drama that Meghan made about feeling a prisoner in her few months as a working member of the royal family. This women did her own thing decades before and with the full support of the queen.

Sadly, my heart skipped a beat when I first read, “Katharine, Duchess of…”

So, Prince David became King Edward and then Duke of Windsor, Prince Albert became King George, and Prince George became the Duke of Kent. Makes perfect sense.

Prince Edward's full name was Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David--his last four names were the patron saints of England,. Scotland, ireland and wales, and his parents and siblings called him "David" because there were already too many Edwards in the family. Even so, it was always understood he would reign under the name King Edward VIII or King Edward Albert I, and he did rule under the name King Edward VIII.

Prince Albert's full name was Albert Frederick Christian George. he was not expected to reign, and so the family just always called him "Bertie." When Edward VIII (his elder brother) abdicated in 1936 after just a year as king, Winston Churchill convinced him to use George VI as his regnal name to assert a continuity between his father George V's reign and his new reign because an abdication was so unprecedented. His wife and siblings and cousins and aunts and uncles still called him "Bertie," though, and everyone else addressed him as "Your Majesty." It was not thought that anyone would be confused if the members of the family still privately referred to Prince George still as "George" since the king was still privately "Bertie," and of course people who were not in the family were expected to refer to him in the third person as simply "the King" and Prince George as simply "the Duke of Kent."

[quote]R56 The Queen attended the premiere along with the Duchess of Kent and they were just so fabulously glamorous. White furs, diamond tiaras…

How gloriously ironic, swathed oneself in fur to see a movie about a lovable wild animal.

I bet they asked where they could order an Elsa rug, afterwards.

Being born free is not a promise you get to live forever.

Princess Michael of Kent is the nasty racist one. The late Duchess of Kent was known for being the complete opposite; kind and lovely. They were sisters-in-law to each other as they married brothers, the Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent. It's a shame that the Duchess is being confused with that nasty daughter-of-Nazis Princess Michael.

But I love that the Queen had a bitchy nickname for her.

R16 Catherine, Princess of Wales has had a long-standing interest in photography, art, design, ballet and textiles, with a degree in History of Art. I think she's the National Gallery patron, and this year attended openings at the National Portrait Museum and the new V&A East. William's interest is sports, Harry's any type of drugs, and Sparkles' sole interest is her personal self.

r1 I thought Princess Michael was from the Czech republic but spent many of her formative years in Australia?

r4 She wasnt on the outs or bad terms with the rest of the royal family.

r6 If Harry and Meghan had of been consistent and done that theyd have received more respect.

r11 Used to be married? She was not widowed or divorced. unless im misunderstanding you? She was definitely royal

In addition to teaching music at schools in Hull and London, the late Duchess was a Unicef ambassador, volunteered for the Samaritans and started a charity to help poor kids get equal access to music education.

I’m not sure if her life was happy, but she made damn sure it was useful. RIP.

r32 Shje also stayed on good friendly terms with Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana even when they were in the bad books with many members of the royal family.She supported Sarah after her mother died in 1998 and seemed to discretly try to use her influence and influence on her husband to try and lessen the harsh or unfriendly treatment some members of the royal family gave Sarah.A sort of bridge or go between.

[quote]R62 Catherine, Princess of Wales has had a long-standing interest in photography…

And Photoshop!

[quote] Princess Michael of Kent is the nasty racist one.

Also a plagiarist

Also a plagiarist.

R63, Surviving Angel, so good to see you!

r71 Bless you many thanks!

Bless Her soul. Her Grace was a beacon of hope and light in a dark world. I pray every night thanking God that this glorious Lady's legion of accomplishments will live on now that she has reached her well deserved reward. I just hope I have the strength to carry on with out Her.

Princess Michael of Kent is German by heritage on her father's side. She was born in 1945 in the Sudetenland which is now part of the Czech republic but which at the time she was born was claimed by the Nazis. Her father, Freiherr (or Baron) Gunther von Reibniz, was from an ancient German noble family from the province of Silesia, and was a Nazi party member who served with the SS during WWII. Her mother was from a noble family of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. She did move to Australia with her mother when she was just a year old when her parents divorced. In the early 60s as a teenager she moved in with her father who by then was living in Mozambique. She then moved to Vienna, and then London, where she met and married Prince Michael of Kent.

[quote]R74 Princess Michael of Kent is German by heritage on her father's side.

Well, that explains the intense racism.

(Shades of WWII)

She sounds awful. A member of the British Royals marrying a Nazi. Prince Michael must be a dunce.

You can't even figure out which person you're libeling. Stupid idiots.

The late Duchess of Kent was an angel.

Even for the DL, the number of factual errors on this thread is astounding. Why make stuff up if you know nothing about the subject?

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

For those that are interested this is a good longer read about her life and work. Posted above.

Katherine seemed like a really good sort, the type of person you would want to know.

Google says Kent woman was 80 years old. Why did she look even OLDER?

Because she was 92, whatever Google says.

[quote]Even for the DL, the number of factual errors on this thread is astounding. Why make stuff up if you know nothing about the subject?

Larry King, with his confident ignorance and threads here of surreal stupidity, is a DL icon for good reason.

Wonder if she smoked Kent cigarettes?

I think the world can survive with one less over-privileged white woman.

R82 is confusing Princess Michael of Kent (80 years old) with her late sister-in-law (died at 92).

[QUOTE]Princess Michael of Kent is the nasty racist one.

[QUOTE]Also a plagiarist

And an adultress. She had a Russian businessman boyfriend. He was assassinated so he presumably had mob associations back home.

How difficult is it to know the difference between two sisters in-law? Especially two who are so distinct from each other, with completely different personalities and public images. One is despised, one is beloved. Stop confusing them! It's like confusing Jackie Kennedy with Ethel Kennedy. These are two very different women with only a family connection between them.

Does anyone know how the Duchess felt about Princess Michael? Were they friendly, or did they just tolerate each other, or was there open animosity?

R9

“1975, Katharine caught German measles during her fourth pregnancy.

Doctors advised her to have an abortion because the disease can often damage the unborn child. After consulting religious authorities, Katharine terminated the pregnancy.

Two years later, a fifth pregnancy went to term, but baby Patrick was stillborn. "It had the most devastating effect on me," she later said. "I suffered from acute depression for a while. I think it would be a fairly rare individual who didn't cave in under those circumstances." “

She gets a Catholic mass. With the King & Queen in attendance. … It was reported that she suffered from a debilitating infection known as the Epstein Barr virus, and from the chronic fatigue syndrome, ME. It was also thought that she had coeliac disease, which made her feel exhausted.

She sought comfort in religion. In January 1994, Katharine was received into the Roman Catholic Church - the first royal to do so in centuries.

Her decision was supported by her husband's cousin, Queen Elizabeth - who decided that Prince Edward's position in the line of succession would remain unaltered.

[quote] How difficult is it to know the difference between two sisters in-law? Especially two who are so distinct from each other,

Calm down. Some of us are doing a good job of making the distinction for those who don't know. We're not all rage-filled royal followers, nor should we be.

Now I'll be FFd. See you in 48 hours. LOL.

No one is "rage-filled," overreacting weirdo.

[quote] Even for the DL, the number of factual errors on this thread is astounding.

then would you care to clarify them?

Or do you just get off on scolding for the sake of scolding?

If you say so r94.

What r95 said

Some real delicate flowers in this thread now.

Everyone behave. The humorless scolds have arrived.

R95, First of all, the confusion between the late Duchess of Kent with Princess Michael. The whole thread was in danger of being derailed because of that.

No it wasn't. It was cleared up ages ago. You must have just begun reading it r99.

KGT, I know you're here, because of the huge gaps in posts. WHY are you here? You could just have a conversation with the rest of us.

[quote]KGT, I know you're here

What even is this thread? It could have been a good thread but the constant idiocy and trolling is insane.

Way to go, trolls.

Klan Grannie is one of the most stupid appelations (sic) around. If we're supposedly a bunch of British fraus, then what on earth would we have to do with a racist American institution like the Klan? I'm a gay, white American man with a black partner. Stop trying to corral all of us BRF commenters.

If the gigantic poopy stained underpants fit...

Metaphoric labels go WAAYY overhead ;)

As do unverifiable assurances

If educated Brits find religion, it tends to be Catholicism rather than something really fundy. The Catholic Church is basically a more authoritarian, guilt-ridden version of high church Anglican.

The only different between the two churches is recognition of the Pope’s status. Nothing more.

R95 and R97 if I took the time to correct every error on this thread I wouldn't get much else done.

The late Duchess of Kent was really a fairytale bride -early 1960’s style. She carried herself magnificently,.

But…. the Blackamoorgate one is still alive, right?

R111, Princess Michael is still alive. I know the Blackamoor broach was a huge misstep, but she deserves her own thread, as she is a fascinating person.

German bigots aren’t at the top of anyone’s wish list.

Princess Mike has had a fascinating life but most reports are that she isn't a particularly nice person. But I guess to make the journey from wartime refugee, daughter of a nazi, living above her mother's hair salon in Sydney to Kensington Palace via Mozambique and married to a Prince took a certain drive.

Interestingly she supposedly first took a shine to Prince Michael's cousin Prince William of Gloucester who was due to inherit the Dukedom of Gloucester but he was already involved with his own middle European divorcee and then was killed in an air crash. So she shifted focus to the handsome but dim Prince Michael.

She had a LOT of wrinkles!

FFS R115 she was 92 and had been chronically ill for years! Were you expecting a plastic smooth football head pumped full of botox and fillers? Maybe some fat shiny sausage lips?

She wasn't American.

The death of the Duchess of Kent received significantly less coverage on the news on the television news, online versions of newspapers and actual print versions of newspapers because of a huge political scandal resulting in the resignation of the UKs Deputy Prime minister Angela Raynor and a subsequent reshuffle of the UK cabinet whilst the Starmer regime is politically struggling. Most eyes were on Downing Street rather than Kent Palace. I do feel sadly her 89 year widower The Duke of Kent is now not long for this world . He's looked in shaky health for years.

NB: Kent Palace is not a place.

Kent Place?

Kent Plaza?

Kent Pizza.