Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katharine Worsley

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Ironically, this article was completed on September 4, 2025, the day the Duchess of Kent passed away. It was due to be published at a later date, but we are publishing it early as a tribute to the Duchess of Kent.

Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katharine Worsley at York Minster; Credit – York Press

On June 8, 1961, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, grandson of King George V and elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, who died in a plane crash in 1942, married Katharine Worsley at York Minster in York, England. It was the first royal wedding held in York Minster since King Edward III of England married Philippa of Hainault in 1328.

Early Life of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, was born on October 9, 1935, at No. 3 Belgrave Square, his parents’ London residence at the time. He was the eldest child of Prince George, Duke of Kent (a son of King George V, and younger brother of King Edward VIII and King George VI), and Princess Marina of Greece. Through his father, he is a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and through his mother, he is a first cousin once removed of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Coppins, in Buckinghamshire, England, which his father inherited from Princess Victoria, a daughter of King Edward VII.

Edward has two younger siblings:

Edward’s father, Prince George, Duke of Kent, was killed in a plane crash on August 25, 1942. At just six years old, Prince Edward succeeded his father as Duke of Kent, Earl of St. Andrews, and Baron Downpatrick.

Edward attended Ludgrove School and Eton College in England, and Le Rosey in Switzerland. He then entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduating in July 1955, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys. He went on to serve in the British Army for 21 years.

Early Life of Katharine Worsley

Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley was born on February 22, 1933, at Hovington Hall in Yorkshire, England, the Worsley family home. She was the daughter of Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet and Joyce Morgan Brunner.

Katharine had three older brothers:

• Sir William Worsley, 5th Baronet (1925 – 2012), married Bridget Assheton, had four children
• George Oliver Worsley (1927 – 2010), married Penelope Susanne Fleetwood Fuller, had four children
• John Arthington Worsley (1928 – 2022), married The Honorable Carolyn Mary Wynyard Hardinge, had five children

Following her education at Queen Margaret’s School in York, England, and Runton Hill School in Norfolk, England, Katharine worked in a children’s home in York and taught in a kindergarten in London. After failing to gain entry into the Royal Academy of Music, she studied at Miss Hubler’s Finishing School in Oxford. From an early age, Katharine had a musical talent and learned to play the piano, organ, and violin.

Pre-Wedding

Edward and Katharine in the gardens of Kensington Palace in London, following the announcement of their engagement

In 1956, Edward and Katharine met while he was based with his regiment, the Royal Scots Greys, at Catterick Garrison near Katharine’s family’s ancestral home, Hovingham Hall. Katharine’s father, Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet, was a prominent figure in the county, and the couple was introduced at a private party. A relationship gradually developed, and Edward proposed in the library at Hovingham Hall on January 1, 1961. Edward’s mother, Princess Marina, announced the couple’s engagement on March 8, 1961, at Kensington Palace. Queen Elizabeth II gave her official consent to the marriage, as required at that time by the Royal Marriages Act 1772, on March 28, 1961.

Why York Minster?

The key factor in choosing York Minster was the strong connection to the bride, who grew up just seventeen miles from York Minster, located in York, Yorkshire, England. Yorkshire was where the couple met and where they courted. This made York Minster a more meaningful and personal choice.

York Minster provided a fitting and appropriate setting for a royal wedding, which required a large and historically significant location to accommodate the royal family and distinguished guests. Following the wedding ceremony, the wedding reception was held at the bride’s family home, Hovingham Hall, conveniently located just seventeen miles away.

The Wedding

Photo above: Watched by members of the Royal Family, Michael Ramsey (wearing mitre), Archbishop of York, performs the marriage ceremony for the Duke of Kent and his bride, Katherine Worsley, near the altar in York Minster. On the left of the bride is her father, Sir William Worsley, and on the right of the groom is Prince Michael of Kent, the best man. In the background, left to right: Antony Armstrong-Jones; Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra; Princess Marina – the bridegroom’s mother – The Queen Mother, Prince Charles; the Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen.

The wedding was nicknamed the “White Rose Wedding” due to the couple’s strong connection to Yorkshire, symbolized by the white rose of the House of York. Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet, Katharine’s father, escorted her down the aisle. Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of York, later Archbishop of Canterbury, conducted the marriage service.

The bride wore a white silk gauze dress, designed by John Cavanagh, with “a high neckline and long sleeves, and a commanding train”. Her veil was secured by the Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara. The Duke of Kent wore the uniform of his regiment, the Royal Scots Greys, with the ribbon of the Royal Victorian Order.

Officers of the Royal Scots Greys formed a ceremonial archway of swords as the Duke of Kent and his bride, Katharine Worsley, now Duchess of Kent, left York Minster

The Attendants

The attendants walking behind the bride and groom; Credit – York Press

• • Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, paternal first cousin once removed and maternal second cousin of the groom
  • The Honorable Jane Spencer, daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Althorp and the elder sister of Diana, Princess of Wales
  • Sandra Butter, daughter of Major and Mrs. David Butter
  • Joanna FitzRoy, daughter of Lord and Lady Edward FitzRoy
  • Willa Worsley, daughter of The Honorable Carolyn and Mr John Worsley, niece of the bride
  • Diana Worsley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Worsley, paternal first cousin of the bride
  • Katherine Ashley-Cooper
  • Emily Briggs
  • William Worsley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Worsley, nephew of the bride
  • Edward Beckett, son of Lady Elizabeth and The Honorable Christopher Beckett
  • Simon Hay, son of Lady Margaret and Sir Philip Hay

Notable Guests

A group picture taken at Hovingham Hall, home of the bride’s parents, after the wedding: Standing Left to Right: Princess Alexandra of Kent, Mr and Mrs Marcus Worsley; Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent; Oliver Worsley; the Queen; Prince Michael of Kent; Sir William Worsley; Princess Anne; Lady Worsley; Prince Charles; the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; ; Mr and Mrs John Worsley. The bridal attendants in front are, left to right: Pages William Worsley, Edward Becket, and Simon Hay; and bridesmaids Katherine Ashley Cooper, Diana Worsley, Sandra Butter, Joanna Fitzroy, the Hon. Jane Spencer, Emily Briggs, and Willa Worsley

2,000 guests attended the wedding ceremony at York Minster. This is not a complete list.

Relatives of the Groom

• • • Princess Marina of Greece, The Duchess of Kent, the groom’s mother
    • Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the groom’s paternal aunt by marriage
    • Princess Mary, The Princess Royal, the groom’s paternal aunt
    • The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the groom’s paternal uncle and aunt
    • Lady Patricia Ramsay (born Princess Patricia of Connaught) and The Honorable Sir Alexander Ramsay, the groom’s paternal first cousin twice removed, and her husband
    • Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (born Princess Alice of Albany), the groom’s first cousin twice removed and paternal great-aunt by marriage
    • The Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the groom’s second cousin once removed

• • • Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet and Lady Worsley, the bride’s parents
      • Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Worsley, the bride’s brother and sister-in-law
      • Mr. Oliver Worsley, the bride’s brother
      • Mr. John Worsley and The Honorable Carolyn Worsley, the bride’s brother and sister-in-law
        • Miss Willa Worsley, the bride’s niece

• • • The Crown Prince of Norway, the groom’s paternal second cousin, later King Harald V of Norway
    • Princess Irene of the Netherlands, the groom’s maternal third cousin
    • Princess Margrethe of Denmark, the groom’s paternal and maternal third cousin, later Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
    • Prince and Princess Georg of Denmark, the groom’s first cousin twice removed and his wife, born Anne Bowes-Lyon, first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II
    • The Crown Prince of Greece, the groom’s maternal second cousin, later King Constantine II of Greece
    • Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, the groom’s maternal second cousin, later Queen Sofia of Spain, as the wife of King Juan Carlos of Spain – the couple became better acquainted at the wedding and married the following year
    • Princess Eugénie, Duchess of Castel Duino, the groom’s maternal first cousin once removed

Afterward

The Duke and Duchess of Kent on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, June 2013; Credit – Wikipedia by Carfax2

The family of the Duke and Duchess of Kent lived at  Coppins, in Buckinghamshire, England, which the Duke’s father inherited from Princess Victoria of Wales, a daughter of King Edward VII. In 1972, they moved to York House at St James’ Palace in London, England. They remained at York House until 1996, taking up residence at Wren House, on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, England. They also own a country home, The Old Forge, in Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire, England, which they purchased in 2002.  Before that, they leased Anmer Hall on the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, from 1972 to 1990, and from 1989 to 1996 owned Crocker End House in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, England.

The Duke of Kent has been an active member of the Royal Family and represented his first cousin, Queen Elizabeth II, at events in the United Kingdom and around the world. He has been the patron of numerous organizations. He is probably most recognized for his role as President of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, serving from 1969 to 2021, a position to which he succeeded upon his mother’s death in 1968. In this role, he presented the champion’s trophies at Wimbledon each year. As he has aged, his engagements have become more limited, but he still undertakes engagements.

In 1994, the Duchess of Kent converted to Catholicism, the first senior member of the royal family to convert publicly since the enactment of the Act of Settlement in 1701. One of her children and several of her grandchildren have also become Catholic.

The Duchess of Kent was known for presenting the women’s singles trophies at the annual Wimbledon Championships from the 1970s to 2001. After the 2001 Wimbledon Championships, the Duchess gave up her official role at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships as part of her withdrawal from public life. In 2002, she reduced her public role and asked to be known as Katherine, Duchess of Kent (a style typically used for widowed or divorced royal women). However, formally, she remains HRH The Duchess of Kent.

Katharine, Duchess of Kent, passed away peacefully at Kensington Palace in London, surrounded by her family, on September 4, 2025, at the age of 92. The Duchess had not been seen in public in the years before her death. She did not attend the 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the 2022 funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, or the 2023 coronation of King Charles III, although her husband did attend all three.

Children and Grandchildren

The Duke of Kent holding his daughter Lady Helen Windsor, his son George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews on the left, and the Duchess of Kent on the right at the Buckinghamshire Iver Fun Fair in 1966

The Duke and Duchess of Kent had three children and ten grandchildren:

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Works Cited

• Lewis, Stephem. (2021, June 8). 60 years ago: Katharine Worsley marries the Duke of Kent at York Minster. York Press. https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/19357656.60-years-ago-katharine-worsley-marries-duke-kent-york-minster/
• Mehl, Scott. (2014). Katharine, The Duchess of Kent | Unofficial Royalty. Unofficialroyalty.com. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/katharine-duchess-of-kent/
• Scott. (2014). Prince Edward, Duke of Kent | Unofficial Royalty. Unofficialroyalty.com. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/prince-edward-duke-of-kent/
• ‌‌Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Wedding of Prince Edward and Katharine Worsley. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.