Britain's royal family announces death of Duchess of Kent at 92

By Katie Kindelan

Britain's royal family is mourning the death of its oldest member, the Duchess of Kent.

The duchess, Katharine, died on Thursday at the age of 92 in Kensington Palace, her longtime home, Buckingham Palace announced Friday.

The duchess became part of the royal family in the early 1960s, when she married Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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The Queen Mother and Katharine, Duchess of Kent, arrive at Royal Ascot in an open carriage on June 21, 1989 in Ascot, England.

Together, the couple shared three children.

The duchess was a staple at royal family functions, including appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, until her retirement from being a working royal in 2002.

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Katharine, Duchess of Kent at the Chelsea Flower Show, London, May 22, 2000.

Her most high-profile royal appearances came each summer during the Wimbledon tennis championships, where she would watch matches from the Royal Box.

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Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Princess Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince William applaud from the Royal Box during the Women's Singles Final Match match between Conchita Marti­nez and Martina Navratilova, July 2, 1994 at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, England.

The duchess was also a frequent presence on the court after the championship matches, when she would hand over trophies to the winners, and console those who finished runner-up.