Lady Helen Taylor has shared details about her mother’s approach to fashion in a new interview, revealing that the late Duchess of Kent would dispose of her entire wardrobe at each season’s end to fund new clothes.
The duchess, who died in September at 92 years old, had a deep appreciation for clothing that bolstered her confidence during royal duties, according to her daughter.
The January edition of Tattler features a tribute to Katharine, including a 1980 portrait by the late Princess Margaret’s ex-husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, showing her in elegant lace attire with diamond and sapphire earrings.
“At the end of each season, she sold all her clothes to finance buying new ones,” Lady Helen revealed to the publication.
The Duchess of Kent pictured at the royal wedding of Prince William and Princess Kate
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The Duchess of Kent was a huge lover of fashion
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Lady Helen additionally shared a particularly harrowing incident involving her mother’s musical pursuits, recounting how a friend accidentally trapped the duchess’s fingertip in a car door.
The injury nearly resulted in the loss of her fingertip, requiring surgery to reattach it.
“She was playing the piano a lot then, and so had to have the tip of her finger sewn back on,” Lady Helen continued.
The duchess’s dedication to music remained undeterred by the accident, with piano playing continuing to be a significant part of her life.
Her musical abilities would later define her post-royal career, though the finger injury must have posed considerable challenges during her recovery.
Those who knew the duchess intimately painted a portrait of exceptional modesty and warmth, with one confidant telling royal biographer Hugo Vickers that she embodied ideal royal qualities.
The Duchess of Kent was a regular figure at Wimbledon
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“She was the perfect member of the Royal Family. She never had any side to her,” the friend revealed.
“There was not an ounce of self-importance. She was genuinely humble. And she had a great sense of humour. She was great fun.”
The duchess became particularly beloved for her presence at Wimbledon, where she distributed trophies for numerous years.
Her most memorable moment came in 1993 when she comforted a distraught Jana Novotna following the tennis player’s defeat in the final.
The duchess made a remarkable transition away from traditional royal duties, choosing to relinquish her formal title and adopt the simpler designation of Mrs Kent.
This decision marked her withdrawal from public royal engagements, leading to an extraordinary career change in which she spent over 10 years instructing young pupils in music at a state-funded primary school in Hull.
Lady Helen Taylor has opened up about her mother’s love of music in the new interview
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Her funeral in September brought together the King, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and other members of the Royal Family.
The ceremony was notably the first Catholic funeral service for a British Royal Family member in contemporary times.
The magazine containing these revelations will be available on December 4.