Duchess of Kent dies aged 92, Buckingham Palace announces

In a statement published to its website, Buckingham Palace said: "It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.

"Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family.

"The King and Queen and all members of the royal family join the Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people."

Born Katharine Worlsey, the duchess married into the royal family in 1961, with Princess Anne among the bridesmaids at the wedding in York Minster. The late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles were both in attendance.

For many, the duchess will be remembered as a familiar figure at Wimbledon, having handed out trophies and consoling those who lost at the tennis championships.

She famously consoled Jana Novotná in 1993 and five years later, was in attendance to hand over the trophy to the tennis player.

The duchess was also passionate about music and spent time working to improve music education for young people, and from the mid-1990s worked as a part-time music teacher in Kingston upon Hull.

She told BBC News back in 2004: "I absolutely love it. I think more and more that it is the most important thing I do. And primary children are like little sponges.

"They really want to learn, so teaching them is very satisfying. It's a privilege. To me it's one of the most exciting jobs anyone can do."

She is survived by her husband, the Duke of Kent, and their three children, Lady Helen Taylor, Lord Nicholas Windsor and George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews.