Palace says duchess, who was married to late queen’s cousin, ‘passed away peacefully surrounded by family’
The Duchess of Kent, the first Catholic convert in the royal family for centuries, who was known for presenting numerous Wimbledon trophies and consoling runners-up, has died aged 92.
The duchess was married to the late queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent but for decades led a separate life from him.
She will be best remembered for a moment in 1993 when she put her arm around a distraught Jana Novotná after the Czech tennis player narrowly lost the Wimbledon women’s singles final to Steffi Graf. Novotná cried on the duchess’s shoulder after blowing a 4-1 lead in the third set.
During the exchange the duchess, whose husband was president of the All England Club for more than 30 years, told Novotná: “I know you can do it.” Five years later the duchess presented her with the winning trophy.
