The Duke and Duchess of Kent News and Events 1: October 2003- Sep 2022


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I do have quite a soft spot for the Duchess of Kent. I do find her choice of choosing to not use her HRH title or her choice to not be referred to as Your Royal Highness of the Duchess of Kent annoying, she does however intrigue me. (I have read she prefers to be Katharine, Duchess of Kent as opposed to The Duchess of Kent...) Ever since I read she and Prince Edward experienced a stillbirth I have a lot more compassion toward her. She goes about her daily life, whether it be teaching etc., with very little complaints and she obviously enjoys what she does. I guess it is refreshing that she is not using her Royal status as PR.

I watched her interview on the Alan Titchmarsh Show this evening and I am still intrigued about this woman. She is very private and I also find that refreshing within the Royal Family. One does know very much about Katharine, and I believe that is the way she likes it.
 
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Completely agree,the Duchess is really kind and admirable member of the extended royal family,who doesn't have the fear or prejudice to express her sincerest feelings in a very human and spontaneous.I do respect her very much and I do think that religion and her care about others helped her to get from depression and even strenghthened more her bright personality.
 
This is intriguing. It suggests that she wants to be thought of as a widow or a divorcee. Perhaps it's another hint that her marriage is over in all but name.:ermm:

(I have read she prefers to be Katharine, Duchess of Kent as opposed to The Duchess of Kent...)
 
Very happy for the Duchess that she is able to share her love of music with children.
 
This is intriguing. It suggests that she wants to be thought of as a widow or a divorcee. Perhaps it's another hint that her marriage is over in all but name.:ermm:

I also remember reading somewhere that Prince Edward and Katharine had wanted to get divorced but were not allowed to do so. I may be very wrong in saying that though.
 
Perhaps after the still birth of her last child, the emotional issues that resulted, and her religious conversion she simply found it easier when withdrawing from public life not to have the bother of the HRH when she wanted a simpler life. It may say nothing about the private status of her marriage and more about how she knew people reacted to an HRH the Duchess of Kent as opposed to simply Kathernie Kent or even Katherine Duchess of Kent.
 
I watched her interview on the Alan Titchmarsh Show this evening and I am still intrigued about this woman. She is very private and I also find that refreshing within the Royal Family. One does know very much about Katharine, and I believe that is the way she likes it.

I tried searching the Web site for the Alan Titchmarsh Show to see if it was available on replay. It doesn't look like it is (not to mention I'm unable to view any, because I'm outside the UK.) I checked YouTube and sadly, it's not there either. Any hope that you have a link, Molly?
 
I can understand her using "Katherine Kent" and not using her HRH if she wanted a simpler, less grand life; but it's the form "Katherine Duchess of Kent" that I find intriguing, because anyone who heard of it in her circle would know what it means--or for that matter anyone who's familiar with how British titles work.


It may say nothing about the private status of her marriage and more about how she knew people reacted to an HRH the Duchess of Kent as opposed to simply Kathernie Kent or even Katherine Duchess of Kent.
 
It is a good read but I am surprised that it is making the news now. She had already done tv interviews about teaching in Hull and about her charity so this is not exactly new information.
Good PR for a new interview I guess.

And most of all good PR for her projects! That's always a good thing, IMO.

This is intriguing. It suggests that she wants to be thought of as a widow or a divorcee. Perhaps it's another hint that her marriage is over in all but name.:ermm:

I'm not an expert when it comes to their marriage, but I've always been under the impression that they are seperated. I might be wrong, but, apart from Will's & Kate's wedding, it's been ages that I've seen the Duke and Duchess together at an event.

I would love to watch the interview, too. The Duchess seems a lovely woman through and through. :)
 
I tried searching the Web site for the Alan Titchmarsh Show to see if it was available on replay. It doesn't look like it is (not to mention I'm unable to view any, because I'm outside the UK.) I checked YouTube and sadly, it's not there either. Any hope that you have a link, Molly?

I am sorry but I watched it on ITVplayer, which is the British website which the show is produced by. I have no idea how to view it outside the UK.

Dierna23 said:
I'm not an expert when it comes to their marriage, but I've always been under the impression that they are seperated. I might be wrong, but, apart from Will's & Kate's wedding, it's been ages that I've seen the Duke and Duchess together at an event.

I had thought they were seperated, just not officially because as I said previously, I read that Prince Edward and Katharine had wished to seperate but were not allowed to do so. (I am unsure why they would not be allowed to do so, perhaps because of Katharine's Catholic views?) Katharine, I don't think, performs many Public duties on behalf of the Queen and like you said she and the Duke are rarely seen together, except at big state events (weddings, funerals etc.) I imagine we wont see her until the Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year.

I do really like Katharine though as she is so enthusiastic about young children learning music and the arts. It's lovely to witness her enthusiasm towards her passion.
 
I remember a story a few years ago that said that The Queen had laid down a rule of "no more divorces" because of all the bad PR her family had during the 90s. This news came out a few years into the 2000s, and some wondered at the time if it was Edward and Sophie who were having trouble. Others suggested that it was the Duke and Duchess of Kent. I don't know, though, whether the story ever was verified or whether it was a tabloid rumour.


I had thought they were seperated, just not officially because as I said previously, I read that Prince Edward and Katharine had wished to seperate but were not allowed to do so.
 
Anyway,at their quite old age,it seemed to me(from the photos) the Duke and his wife are getting along quite well,despite of all the difficulties and rumours behind.I think he would never forget his love for young and very charming duchess,as she was at the beginning of their married life,from their marriage photos I do believe at the times they were a young and very much in love couple.Now they have 3 adult children and a lot of grandchildren,who surely give them a lot of joy.
 
I believe they are technically separated but not legally so (i.e. no official paperwork has been made to dissolve the marriage).

You do see the Duchess at least once year (Trooping of the Colour) Thats when the Kent family is out en masse. You also see all of the grandchildren. Other than that its the special occasions, weddings, memorials, etc. Although to be honest, we don't' know what they do in their private life. At William and Catherine's wedding, they seem to interact a little more publicly.

They were always one of my favorite royal couples....I know the Duchess had some personal issues (besides the miscarriages and depression some say that she really did not enjoy royal life), and I had hoped that the love that brought them together in the beginning (if you saw old pics and how they looked at each other) would someone how find its way back to teach other....but as long as they are both happy.
 
I remember those pictures, Zonk. Katharine with flowing blond hair, daughter of country gentry, in a ladylike skirt and simple blouse and with her whole heart in her face, looking at her future husband. He, with a quiet and small smile, but with his whole person leaning toward her. They were about 4 feet apart but they were completely together.
 
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Very nice words that precisely described the love of the couple at an early stage!I believe the love could be seen from a mile(like in their case),as well as the lack of love or affection in case of other royal couples.
 
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Thank you for the new links, I always follow the Duke & Duchess of Kent. A couple I admire much :) .
 
Mill visited by member of the royal family - Bedfordshire - Biggleswade Today
HRH The Duke of Kent toured Stotfold Watermill and nature reserve on Tuesday, October 25, in the company of Sir Samuel Whitbread, Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire.They were met by John Saunders, chair of the trustees of the Mill Preservation Trust and Brian Collier, the mayor of Stotfold.
The Duke of Kent was given a guided tour and each area was explained by a volunteer specialist.
[...]
He signed the visitor book and was given a painting by local artist, Geoff Hoile, showing the old derelict building and the new mill risen from the ashes.
 
Duke of Kent's pride over royal role in British Raj | Mail Online
Normally he is the quiet man of the Royal Family.
When he does make speeches the Duke of Kent’s words are pleasant, polite and usually full of platitudes.
But in a rare public defence of royal history, the Duke has delivered a stern rebuke to the administrators of the British Empire and paid a fulsome tribute to the Royal Family’s progressive stance a century ago.
‘I am proud to say that my family and its relationship with India was the most enlightened in the British establishment of those days,’ the Duke declared.
‘And my grandfather, George V, [was] perhaps most enlightened of all.’
The Queen’s first cousin was opening a photographic exhibition this week to mark the 100th anniversary of arguably the greatest royal pageant of all time, the Delhi Durbar of 1911.
 
The Duke of Kent is in Australia!

He watched the women's final match between Maria Sharapova of Russia and Victoria Azarenka of
Belarus during day thirteen of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park today, January 28, 2012.



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Today, January 29, the Duke of Kent was seen watching Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Rafael Nadal
of Spain in their men's finals match during day fourteen of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne
Park, Australia.



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The Duke of Kent attended a parade at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Berkshire on April 13, 2012,
where Officer cadets were given their commissions to mark the end of their year's training. The parade is the
first in a series of events marking 2012 as the 200th anniversary of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.


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The Windsor’s Other Kate: The Forgotten Model Royal

The Queen was joined by two royals named Kate during the Diamond Jubilee service at St. Paul’s Cathedral earlier this week. Both married into the Royal Family and are known for their style and warmth. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is one of the world’s most famous women and has been credited with boosting the Windsor brand while Katharine, Duchess of Kent, has largely faded from public view but deserves credit for modernizing the monarchy in her own special way.

The Duchess of Kent was once known to the world as the smiling, hugging royal cheering the winners and comforting the losers at Wimbledon. Marrying the Duke of Kent in 1961, Katharine spent more than thirty years as a traditional royal, serving as patron of a variety of worthy causes, heading several military units, and conducting royal visits around the world including representing the Queen at Mother Teresa’s funeral in 1997. To believe most royal observers today, she has become a semi-invalid recluse who rarely ventures beyond her family’s small home inside the gates of Kensington Palace. In fact, while Katharine gave up her place on Centre Court and in the Court Circular in the 1990s, instead of retiring, she embarked on two different careers that tapped her passion for music. First, known simply as Mrs. Kent, Katharine spent more than a decade traveling from London to East Hull in Yorkshire to teach music at a local primary school. While getting on with the nitty-gritty of her classroom work, she saw how low parental expectations, limited financial means and lack of guidance was denying many gifted children the opportunity to achieve higher levels of artistic competence and even careers in music. That is when she took on the daunting role of charitable entrepreneur.

In 2004, the Katharine founded Future Talent to fund, nurture and monitor gifted child musicians whose financial circumstances would otherwise prevent them from fulfilling their artistic potential (Future Talent). From a violinist living in Fife who has been able to take advanced lessons in London to a soprano who has sung in the Houses of Parliament and performed in Norway and Ireland thanks to Future Talent’s support, Katharine and her charity are giving a boost to young musicians all across England, Scotland and Wales. While she no longer seeks the public spotlight, Katharine is far from shy. In fact, get her talking about nurturing the artistic potential of children (Call me Katharine - YouTube) and you will discover an articulate, forthright and driven royal who can speak with Princess Anne’s frankness (Katharine Kent - The Alan Titchmarsh Show - YouTube), convey Prince Charles’s missionary zeal (Powerful Philanthropy Katharine Kent - YouTube), and demonstrate Princess Diana’s empathy (Future Talent on the BBC News Channel 2nd February 2010 - YouTube).

If the extended Royal Family’s absence from the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Diamond Jubilee was anything to go by, the list of public royals will shrink dramatically in the coming years. The Duke of York has struggled to find jobs in the Firm for his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie. They, along with the future younger children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, won’t likely receive many requests from the Palace to open buildings, inspect troops and travel abroad. At the same time, HRHs who try to pursue ordinary money making careers, from Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex’s media and PR companies to Prince Michael of Kent’s ventures with Russian oligarchs, attract controversy that puts the Windsor’s public standing at risk. That is why Katharine Kent is a role model for future generations of royals. She has combined her private talents and public position to get on with a real job, do good, and quietly support the monarchy while avoiding taxing the public purse or generating bad press.

So the next time you notice the Duchess of Kent’s absence at Wimbledon or a major royal occasion, remember, she’s not hiding, she’s working.

Parker Healy is author of “The Forgotten Prince William: The House of Windsor’s First Modern Prince” © 2012 which is sold through ebook sellers: Barnes & Noble (BARNES & NOBLE | The Forgotten Prince William by Parker Healy | NOOK Book (eBook)), Amazon.com (Amazon.com: The Forgotten Prince William: The House of Windsor's First Modern Prince eBook: Parker Healy: Kindle Store) and Amazon.co.uk (bit.ly/J2uy9k).
 
Thank you so much for that informative paragraph. I have just finished watching her interview on british tv about the same subject.
So much better than thinking she was retired after all these years.
 
Thank you for the post, ForgottenRoyals.
Quite a fascinating insight into the Duchess' life. I had never really known much about her life, but her work with Future Talent is most certainly praiseworthy.
 
Great summary of her activities, FR, I've been wondering where Kate Kent has been. I also understand that since she doesn't perform royal duties, she doesn't use the HRH.
 
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