The Duke of Kent has celebrated a major milestone birthday just weeks after his wife, Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, died aged 92. The Duke held an intimate birthday celebration at Ognisko Polskie in South Kensington where his brother, Prince Michael of Kent and other guests were also in attendance. Pictures posted from the event shows the Duke posing with guests and sitting in front of a birthday cake. The celebration was also attended by members of British Poles – a group that focuses on Poles in the UK and British and Polish relations.
The Duke has a long-standing close relationship with the group and a deep connection with Polish culture. After the Second World War, Prince Edward's parents, Prince George and Princess Marina, offered the Polish noble family Koziell-Poklewski to stay in their Coppins estate in Iver, Buckinghamshire. The young Prince grew up alongside Vincent Koziell-Poklewski, and formed a lifelong friendship until his passing in 2017.
In a birthday message from 2020, the Duke thanked British Poles for celebratory wishes and highlighted the close nature of the relationship between the UK and Poland, saying: "I am very pleased that I have received so many wishes from Poles living in the UK. Our nation appreciates and remembers your support during World War II. Polish soldiers' courage was legendary. In the same way, we value your contribution to the development of our economy and culture.
The Duke's birthday was also celebrated by the Prince and Princess of Wales, who shared a sweet for the Duke of Kent. Taking to their official social media accounts, the future King and Queen wished him a Happy 90th Birthday. The photo was a lovely photograph of the royal, shaking hands with King Charles on the day of his coronation, which was originally a post shared on the King and Queen's Instagram account.
Alongside the photo, Charles and Camilla wrote: "Wishing The Duke of Kent a very happy birthday - 90 today! Later this month, The King will host a birthday reception for The Duke, who was Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousin, at Windsor Castle."
The Duchess of Kent's passing
The sweet words were shared just weeks after the funeral of the Duke of Kent's wife, Katharine Worsley, the Duchess of Kent. Buckingham Palace announced the Duchess' with a message on behalf of the King and Queen. A short while later, in a message on Kensington Palace's official social media accounts, the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote: "Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas. The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music. She will be a much missed member of the family."
Members of the royal family including King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Kate, Prince William and Princess Anne all attended the Duchess' memorial service at Westminster Cathedral. All the royals appeared to be incredibly supportive of the Duke and his family during the emotional day. Princess Kate could even be seen on the steps outside of the cathedral after the funeral offering words of comfort to the Duke.
