The Duke of Kent marked his milestone 90th birthday earlier this month, and now it's been revealed that the King and Queen held a party for the late Queen Elizabeth II's cousin at Windsor Castle. The reception took place on Wednesday evening, according to the Court Circular, with a number of senior royals in attendance.
As well as Charles and Camilla, the Duke's siblings, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy were present. They were also joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Duke of Gloucester.
However, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Prince and Princess of Wales were absent from the party. Sophie had a pre-planned engagement on Wednesday evening, attending the Country Land and Business Association Reception in London. Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate are taking a break from their royal duties amid their children's October half-term break from school.
The Waleses are preparing to move from Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to their nearby 'forever home' Forest Lodge. The family of five also typically spend some of the school holidays at their Norfolk country abode, Anmer Hall. William is also preparing to travel to Brazil for the upcoming Earthshot Prize Awards in Rio de Janeiro on 5 November, where Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes will perform during the star-studded ceremony.
Duke of Kent's birthday celebrations
The King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales were among the royals to pay tribute to the Duke of Kent, who is also known as Prince Edward, on his 90th birthday on 9 October. The royals' social media accounts shared a previously unseen image of the Duke shaking hands with Charles at Buckingham Palace on the day of the coronation in May 2023. The Duke also attended a lunch at Ognisko Polskie, the Polish Hearth Club, in South Kensington on his birthday.
© GettyThe milestone came just weeks after the death of the Duke's wife, Katharine Worsley, the Duchess of Kent. The royal, who retreated from public life in the latter years of her life, having given up her HRH style in 2002, died aged 92 on 4 September.
© Getty ImagesThe Kents, who were married for 64 years, resided together at Wren House at Kensington Palace, where the Duchess passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family. Poignantly, her last public appearance was on her husband's 89th birthday in October 2024, as the pair watched a performance from bagpipers outside their royal residence.
The Duke and Duchess shared three children - George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor – as well as ten grandchildren, including model Lady Amelia Windsor and her sister, Lady Marina Windsor.
Katharine's funeral took place at Westminster Cathedral in London on 16 September, with the King, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and other senior royals in attendance. It was the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern history.
Devoted to duty
While the Duke of Kent has significantly reduced his public appearances in recent years, he still carries out engagements with his patronages and presidencies, which include the Stroke Association, the Scout Association and homelessness charity, St Mungo's. He's also known for his long-term involvement with the Wimbledon Championships, having served as President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club from 1969 to 2021.
On stepping down, the Duke said: "It has been an honour to serve this remarkable institution for as long as I have. To have seen this tournament, and the game of tennis, grow and inspire generations over the span of five decades has been an extraordinary experience, and I am incredibly proud to have been part of it. I look forward now to watching as the young players of today pursue ever higher standards of excellence, and I shall continue to cheer them on as they do."
© Getty ImagesHe was also loyally supportive to his late cousin, Queen Elizabeth II, who died on 8 September 2022, performing duties on her behalf and attending significant events alongside her, such as Trooping the Colour and her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.
