Katharine, Duchess of Kent, left an estate valued at more than £1.4 million, with her will providing for her husband, their three children, a grandson, nine godchildren and the music charity she helped establish.
Newly reported probate documents valued the estate at £1,433,696 before liabilities reduced the net figure to £1,433,206. The Duchess signed the will as “Katharine Kent” on Oct. 5, 2022.
The Duchess died peacefully at home at Kensington Palace on Sept. 4, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was 92.
Her will also included a £10,000 gift to Future Talent, reflecting the work with young musicians that became central to the final decades of her life.
Her Three Children Will Divide the Remaining Estate
According to the probate report, the Duke of Kent can receive income and other benefits from the residual estate while he is alive. After his death, half of the remaining assets will pass to the couple’s eldest son, George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews. Their younger son, Lord Nicholas Windsor, will receive one-third, while their daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, will inherit the remaining one-sixth.
The Duchess separately left her interest in a property in Edwardes Square, Kensington, to her grandson Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick, the eldest son of the Earl of St Andrews.
Her personal possessions, described in the reporting as including jewelry, furniture and household contents, were left to the Duke of Kent. The couple married at York Minster on June 8, 1961, and had three children and 10 grandchildren.
The Duchess left £5,000 to each of nine godchildren, creating combined individual bequests of £45,000. The beneficiaries named in current reports are Catherine Cameron, Tania Astor, Clare Kerr, Amabel Kerr, Emma Scott, Christopher Morrell, Edward Marsh, Andrew Burley and George Anandraj.
Future Talent Received £10,000 From Its Co-Founder
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The Duchess left £10,000 to Future Talent, the charity she launched with educator Nicholas Robinson in 2004. The idea grew from the 13 years she spent teaching music at a primary school in East Hull. Known to pupils as “Mrs Kent,” she encountered talented children whose families could not afford instruments, lessons or the specialist support needed to continue developing their abilities.
Future Talent now supports young musicians from low-income backgrounds through financial awards, individual mentoring, workshops, masterclasses and performance opportunities. The charity says it receives no government funding and depends on contributions from individuals, trusts and corporate supporters.
Following her death, Future Talent described Katharine as its co-founder, its visionary and a lifelong advocate for ensuring that financial hardship did not prevent young people from fulfilling their musical potential.
She Stepped Away From Royal Duties to Focus on Music
Katharine became a working member of the royal family after marrying the Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She stepped aside from full-time royal duties in 2002 to concentrate on music, education and charitable work.
She had long been familiar to the public through Wimbledon, where she presented the women’s singles trophy for many years. One of her best-known appearances came in 1993, when she comforted Jana Novotná after the Czech player lost the final to Steffi Graf.
The Duchess was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1994. Her Requiem Mass took place at Westminster Cathedral on Sept. 16, 2025, marking the first royal funeral at the cathedral and the first royal Catholic funeral in modern British history.
The Royal Family Remembered Her Empathy for Young People
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… pic.twitter.com/OsCeb3pQ7d
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 5, 2025
Buckingham Palace’s announcement remembered the Duchess’s lifelong commitment to the organizations she supported, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, also highlighted her charitable work and love of music while offering condolences to the Duke of Kent and their children, George, Helen and Nicholas.