The royal family are in mourning following the death of Katharine, Duchess of Kent. The royal, who was 92 at the time of her death, welcomed three children with her husband, the Duke of Kent. The couple were parents to George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor. The trio rarely make appearances with their wider family and aren't considered to be working royals, allowing them to carve out their own lives free of royal constraints.
Lady Helen will no doubt be supporting her father following her mother's passing, and the pair have had a close bond, with the pair seen attending events together earlier this year. Back in May, Lady Helen and the Duke of Kent were seen attending the London Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside Prince Edward. Here's everything you need to know about Lady Helen from her incredible career to marrying her teenage sweetheart...
Early life
Born on 28 April 1964, Lady Helen is the second child of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. At the time of her birth, Helen was eighth in line to the throne, today she is 47th. The youngster was educated at Eton End School in Datchet before heading to St Mary's School in Wantage. She was then educated at Gordonstoun in Scotland, which boasts several members of the royal family, including Prince Philip, King Charles, Prince Edward and Zara Tindall as alumni. Lady Helen studied art at Gordonstoun and after graduating, she began working at Christie's auction house.
© Hulton ArchiveCareer
Lady Helen found her footing in the art world and worked with art dealer Karsten Schubert between 1987 and 1991. During her time with Karsten, she was credited with discovering major artists including Rachel Whiteread, who won the Turner Prize in 2003, and Gary Hume. However, in 2008, she admitted that she turned down the offer of representing Damien Hirst.
© Junko KimuraFollowing her foray into the art world, Lady Helen became a brand ambassador for major fashion brands like Calvin Klein and Bulgari and was the face of Giorgio Armani between 2001 and 2018. Speaking about one of the benefits of her role, she once joked: "A lot of my friends are really jealous — but I lend them clothes, so not too jealous." Lady Helen is also involved in the charity sector and is a patron of children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent. She is also a trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and is part of the advisory board of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
Relationship with Timothy Taylor
When she was 19, Lady Helen met art dealer Timothy Taylor and the pair struck up a relationship. The duo dated for nine years before marrying on 18 July 1992. She wore a gown designed by Catherine Walker for her nuptials and the wedding was attended by senior royals including the late Queen and the then Prince Charles. The happy couple have welcomed four children: Columbus (b. 1994), Cassius (b. 1996), Eloise (b. 2003) and Estella (b. 2004). All of her children directly follow Lady Helen when it comes to where they lie in the line of succession.
© Tim GrahamHer son Cassius has followed in Lady Helen's artistic footsteps and has hosted pop-up art exhibitions in the past, including one based on one of his tattoos. He credited his parents with his love for art, joking: "I was constantly being dragged to galleries as a child." His works have been described as "anarchist", but he retains the support of his family when it comes to his creativity.
