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The Duchess of Kent's rule-breaking moment at Prince Harry's wedding unearthed


The late Duchess of Kent, who passed away in early September, typically kept away from the limelight after resigning from her royal duties, but made a memorable appearance at Prince Harry's wedding


LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 04: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Katharine, Duchess of Kent attends a service of celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on June 4, 2013 in London, England. The Queen's Coronation took place on June 2, 1953 after a period of mourning for her father King George VI, following her ascension to the throne on February 6, 1952. The event 60 years ago was the first time a coronation was televised for the public. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)© Getty Images
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Josh OsmanJunior Lifestyle Writer
September 12, 2025
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The Duchess of Kent, who was married to the late Queen's cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, passed away in early September at the age of 92. Having turned away from her royal duties, with the late Queen Elizabeth II's blessing, she enjoyed a fulfilling second act as a music teacher, spending 13 years working in a primary school in Hull. However, though she kept it low-key on the royal front, that doesn't mean she missed out on the biggest family events. The Duchess, born Katharine Worsley, very rarely attended events in her later life, but she had a rather major rule-breaking moment at Prince Harry's wedding back in May 2018. Scroll down to find out more…

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their wedding carriage© WPA Pool
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a star-studded occasion

Even for a royal wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's celebration was a particularly star-studded affair, with the likes of Amal Clooney appearing in a beautiful canary yellow Stella McCartney piece and David Beckham showing up in a sharp three-piece suit from Dior Homme. However, it was the Duchess of Kent's outfit that caught our attention on the day.

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 19: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Katharine, Duchess of Kent attends the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales marries Ms. Meghan Markle in a service at St George's Chapel inside the grounds of Windsor Castle. Among the guests were 2200 members of the public, the royal family and Ms. Markle's Mother Doria Ragland. (Photo by Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images)© Getty Images
The Duchess of Kent made a rare appearance at Prince Harry's wedding

Flying under the radar, she wore a beautiful Erdem dress with a navy and white floral pattern, a pearl necklace, a white cross body bag, as well as a gorgeous lilac fascinator. The 'rule-breaking' aspect of her outfit came with the modern flat white lace-up sneakers, which she no doubt opted for due to comfort. 

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The Duchess of Kent's wedding

When Katharine first met the Duke of Kent, she was only 24 years old. They crossed paths when he was living at Catterick Camp, an English military base. When their wedding took place in 1961, at York Minster, it marked the first royal marriage in more than 600 years to take place in the building, which dates back as far as the seventh century.

For her special day, the Duchess of Kent wore a dress designed by John Cavanagh, accessorising with the Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara. The two later welcomed three children: George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews; Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor, who were born in 1962, 1964 and 1970, respectively. They also had ten grandchildren, including Lady Amelia Windsor and Lady Marina Windsor.

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