Revealed: How Duchess of Kent battled with ‘impossibly imperious’ mother-in-law who thought she was ‘of dubious pedigree and not up to the task’

She was the first person without a title to marry into the Royal Family for more than a century – but what the Duchess of Kent viewed as a point of pride became a matter of contention for her ‘impossibly imperious’ mother-in-law, a royal biographer has revealed.

Katharine Worsley, married to Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin Prince Edward, died on Thursday night at Wren House, her marital home in Kensington Palace, surrounded by members of her family. The cause of death has not been released. 

For those close to her, the Duchess’ passing has prompted a stream of emotional tributes, including from the Prince and Princess of Wales who said Katharine would be ‘much missed’, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised her for bringing ‘compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did’.

But there was at least one relative who would have taken a less charitable view on the duchess – her late mother-in-law, Princess Marina.

According to royal expert Mary Riddell, who penned The Duchess of Kent: The Troubled Life of Katharine Worsley, Marina was said to have subjected her daughter-in-law to a ‘remorseless scrutiny’ over her abilities as the Duchess of Kent.

Described as ‘impossibly imperious, improbably grand’, Marina believed that Katharine was ‘not up to the task’ of taking on the same royal title she bore until her son’s marriage in 1961.

Much of that belief perhaps stemmed from Marina’s view she was a ‘true’ royal compared to Katharine. 

The credentials were certainly there – Marina was a Greek and Danish princess by birth and a British princess by marriage to Prince George, Duke of Kent, who was her second cousin through Christian IX of Denmark.

She was the first person without a title to marry into the Royal Family for more than a century – but what the Duchess of Kent viewed as a point of pride became a matter of contention for her ‘impossibly imperious’ mother-in-law, a royal biographer has revealed

Princess Marina, mother-in-law to the Duchess of Kent, has been described as ‘impossibly imperious, improbably grand’ and subjected Katharine to immense scrutiny

Marina was born into royalty, but her daughter-in-law (pictured right with Prince Edward, Duke of Kent) had no titles and was a self-described ‘Yorkshire lass’

She was also a first cousin of Prince Philip, who later became Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Born in Athens, Greece, Marina spent her early years living in the splendour of the Tatoi Palace until she was 11 when the royal family was exiled, following the overthrow of the Greek monarchy. 

By contrast, Katharine was born into the aristocracy but had no titles and was a self-described ‘Yorkshire lass’.

The Duchess was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley on February 22 1933 to Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet and Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire, and Joyce Morgan Brunner.

Her maternal grandfather was Sir John Brunner – the founder of Brunner Mond, which later became ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries).

Katharine grew up at the ancestral family seat of Hovingham Hall in North Yorkshire, where her family has lived since the early 18th Century, and received no formal education until the age of 10.

Marina was also said to have enjoyed a close relationship with her own mother-in-law, Queen Mary, and all the more so after the premature death of Prince George, in 1942.

The royal was just 36 when her husband died in a plane crash while on active service with the RAF. 

Princess Marina pictured with her husband King George in 1937, five years before he was tragically killed in a plane crash while on active service with the RAF

Princess Marina (left) with her son Prince Michael of Kent, daughter Princess Alexandra and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent in 1954

Prince Michael of Kent, Prince Edward Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra of Kent with their mother Princess Marina (right) in 1955

The Duke of Kent and his fiancee, Miss Katharine Worsley, who became the Duchess of Kent, in a May 1961 image released before their marriage 

Katharine Worsley leaving her Hovingham Hall home for York Minster where she was to become the Duchess of Kent on her marriage to Duke of Kent on June 8, 1961

The Duke wore the ceremonial uniform of his regiment the Royal Scots Greys to his wedding to Katharine Worsley

The Kents, pictured on their wedding day, married on June 8 1961 at York Minister. The union brought Katharine into the Royal Family, yet she had never been interested in the limelight

The Duchess of Kent with her baby son, the Earl of St Andrews at her home, Coppins in Iver, Buckinghamshire in July 1962

The Duchess of Kent dressed in academic robes in her role as the Chancellor of Leeds University in 1967

The Duchess of Kent during her visit to Oxfam’s Mayfair Fair at Grosvenor House, where she met the Fair’s President, Mr Paul Getty, the American oil millionaire, and his guest, Hollywood actress, Zsa Zsa Gabor, in May 1972

The Duchess of Kent acknowledges the crowd from the Royal box at Wimbledon in July 1975 as Margaret Thatcher smiles  and looks on

The Duchess of Kent smiling with American comedian Sammy Davies Jr., when the stars were presented after the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium. Jerry Lewis (centre) and Tommy Steele look on

But there was no such warmth between the exuberant Marina, who by all accounts basked in her royal identity, and Katharine, who was a natural self-doubter and typically shied away from the limelight.

As Riddell writes in her authoritative book, Marina was ‘impossibly imperious, improbably grand and still possessed of a common touch that endeared her to ordinary people – she had never been in the slightest doubt about her mesmeric qualities.’

Her view of her daughter-in-law meanwhile, loosely concealed, was that Katharine was ‘a woman of dubious pedigree and not up to the task that faced her.’

In public, the pair professed to share a loving relationship, but the reality was very different, Riddell reveals in her book.

Katharine was subjected to ‘remorseless scrutiny’ in which her diary, method of running a home and diligence as a wife constantly came under Marina’s microscope. 

Such was the strain upon her to meet her mother-in-law’s high standards, the Duchess of Kent is understood to have told her friends she felt like a ‘beginner’ in fulfilling her royal duty.

And after Marina’s death in 1968, aged 61, from a brain tumour, Katharine found herself grappling with an incredibly hard act to follow.

However, as Riddle reveals, Katharine indeed stepped up swiftly and proficiently into her role as the Duchess of Kent.

Married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, cousin to Queen Elizabeth, the couple, pictured together in 1991, have three children: George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor

The Duke and Duchess of Kent leaving Westminster Abbey after the wedding of the now Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011

The statement released by the Prince and Princess of Wales

Her death was announced by the Royal Family at midday on Friday

She took on eight of the patronages and offices held by her mother-in-law, including The Spastics Society, which later became known as Scope.

Her diary was once rarely full, but now she found herself opening schools, launching ships, presenting medals and inaugurating old people’s homes. 

Katharine was beloved by the public and admired for her determination to forge her own path and life-long dedication to charity work.

 The Duchess was also an elegant fixture at Wimbledon. She captured the hearts of the nation when she consoled Czech star Jana Novotna as she broke down in tears on Centre Court after losing to reigning champion Steffi Graf in 1993.

She remained reticent from making speeches in public, but what she lacked in words she more than made up for in empathy and compassion, one of her close friends has revealed.

Nicholas Robinson OBE, a friend of the Duchess for more than two decades and who  co-founded their music charity Future Talent, told the Mail today: ‘She was once described as Katharine, the compassionate duchess. And that word, compassionate…it just sums her up. 

‘She was such a kind, genuine and understanding person. It was all about other people. Genuinely selfless. 

‘She was also a shy person, so nothing she did was for glory. She was just so wonderful.’

Pope John Paul II receiving the Duchess of Kent – who converted to Roman Catholicism – during a private audience at the Vatican in 1994

Diana, the Princess of Wales talking to The Duchess of Kent at Earls Court in London at a celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Queen’s Accession in 1992

The Duchess of Kent cradling a child with Cerebral Palsy at The Philani Nutrition and Rehabilitation Centre in Cape Town South Africa during her six day visit in her role as Patron of the UK Committee for UNICEF in 1997

The Duchess of Kent presenting the ladies singles trophy to USA’s Venus Williams in 2001

Katharine, Duchess of Kent, attends a gala pre-wedding dinner held at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park on April 28 2011

The Duke and Duchess of Kent arriving at the Galilee Porch entrance of St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, for the funeral of the Queen Elizabeth II’s aunt Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester in 2004

The Duchess gave up full-time royal duties and her HRH title to pursue a life away from the spotlight in 2002.

She subsequently spent more than a decade anonymously teaching music in a Hull primary school, where she was simply known as Katharine, or plain ‘Mrs Kent’.

Married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, cousin to Queen Elizabeth, the couple have three children: George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.

Katahrine’s sad passing was announced on social media by the Royal Family’s official Twitter account on Friday.

A death notice was placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace, where the Union Flag was flown at half mast. In 1992 she famously converted to Catholicism, and is expected to have a Catholic funeral in a week’s time in accordance with her wishes.

‘It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent’, the Royal Family’s midday statement said.

‘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’.

The Duchess of Kent at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2000

The duchess greets Diana, Princess of Wales at Wimbledon, where she was a fixture for many years

The Duchess of Kent with Josie Russell, then nine, who survived a horrific hammer attack in which her mother and sister both died, during a photocall for the Children of Courage Awards at Westminster Abbey in 1996

The Duchess of Kent presents the 1978 Wimbledon Ladies Singles trophy to Martina Navratilova in 1978. The Duke and Duchess were Wimbledon fixtures for many years

Two years earlier, the Duke (right) and Duchess presented the winner’s plate to Chris Evert

When true royalty met showbiz royalty: The duchess at a charity photo call with Bruce Forsyth

The Duchess was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley in Yorkshire – a county she always retained a passionate association with – on February 22 1933.

She grew up at the ancestral family seat of Hovingham Hall in North Yorkshire, and went on to study at Queen Margaret’s School, York, and Runton Hill School in North Norfolk, where she developed a life-long passion for music, learning the piano, organ and violin. 

Her daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, has said her mother was a pianist of almost concert standard.

Katharine met Prince Edward, the eldest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, while he was based at Catterick Camp in Yorkshire in 1956.

They married at York Minster on June 8 1961, the first royal wedding to be held there for 633 years, with the bride sporting the spectacular Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara.

The best man was Edward’s brother, Prince Michael of Kent, while Princess Anne was one of the bridesmaids.

Guests included actors Noël Coward and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as well as members of the British, Greek, Danish, Norwegian, Yugoslavian, Romanian, and Spanish royal families.

While she threw herself into royal duties, earning the enduring respect of Queen Elizabeth, it was clear, however, there was something missing from this thoughtful and spiritual woman’s life for a number of years.

This was exacerbated when she suffered a devastating miscarriage in 1975 owing to rubella, and then gave birth to a stillborn son, Patrick, in 1977.

The loss sent her into a severe depression, which saw her hospitalised for ‘nervous strain’ in 1978, something she bravely spoke about publicly later.

‘It had the most devastating effect on me,’ she said later. ‘I had no idea how devastating such a thing could be to any woman. It has made me extremely understanding of others who suffer a stillbirth.’

In 1992, she became the first member of the royal family to convert to Catholicism since the Act of Settlement 1701. Since her husband the Duke of Kent did not convert, he remained in the line of succession.

‘I do love guidelines and the Catholic Church offers you guidelines. I have always wanted that in my life. I like to know what’s expected of me. I like being told: You shall go to church on Sunday and if you don’t you’re in for it!’ she told the BBC.

Ten years later she asked the late Queen for permission to give up royal duties and her HRH title, a request the monarch sympathetically agreed to.

The duchess explained that ‘there was nothing that I felt I wanted to hide away from… It was just something that happened in my life. I was always – I wouldn’t say proud of it, but I was glad I did it. I was supported through it as well. The Queen said: ‘Yes, go and do it,’ so I did.’

Remarkably, she took a position as a music teacher in Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull, and also gave piano lessons in a rented studio flat near her official residence at Kensington Palace.

The duchess with South African president Nelson Mandela at a charity breakfast

Katharine, Duchess of Kent pictured arriving at a red carpet event in 1991. She stepped back from public life in 2002

Katharine pictured in 1992 – shortly before she retired from royal life and became a music teacher in Hull

Talking about her career as a music teacher she said: ‘Teaching [the children] is very satisfying. It’s a privilege. To me it’s one of the most exciting jobs anyone can do.’

The duchess also served as president of the Royal Northern College of Music, and was the director of National Foundation for Youth Music from 1999 to 2007, as well as attending occasional large-scale Royal Family functions over the years.

In 2004 she set up the charity Future Talent, which gives music support, instruments and classes, to underprivileged children between the ages of 6 and 18. From small beginnings, they now support 100 musical children.

Talking of her career as a music teacher, the Duchess once told the BBC how one of her favourite pieces of music was ‘Thank You’ by Dido – although she also, remarkably, admitted a passion for rap including Eminem and Ice Cube. 

The Duchess is expected to have a Catholic funeral in a week’s time in accordance with her wishes.