Katharine Worsley, the Duchess of Kent, who died on Sept. 4 at the age of 92, spent more than a decade teaching music at a primary school in Hull while largely keeping her royal identity private, former pupils and school staff said.
The duchess worked at Wansbeck Primary School under the name "Mrs Kent," a pseudonym she said she "never questioned," and was not widely recognised by pupils or parents during her time there, school leaders and former pupils told the BBC and local media. In a 2011 interview with broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh, Katharine said she had spent 13 years teaching at the school and that she remained connected to the community long after she stopped taking lessons there.
The duchess told Titchmarsh that she first became involved after visiting the school in 1996 and learning that its music department faced challenges. She described music as an "underrated subject" and said she would "love to see one of the arts be one of the compulsory GCSEs," adding, "Music is so much more popular than football. There isn't a single person in the world who doesn't tap their feet to music."
Katharine, who learned piano, violin and organ as a child and later studied music, served as president of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. She withdrew from some royal duties in the mid-1990s and formally stepped down as a working royal in 2002, after which she took on the teaching role rather than retiring to a London residence or a grace-and-favour property, according to news reports.
Sam Bullen, executive headteacher at Wansbeck Primary School, paid tribute after the duchess's death, saying: "'Mrs Kent' (as she was known to our school community) was an inspiration to the children when she taught music here over many years. She was a dedicated teacher who taught music with passion and showed the most amazing commitment to our school. Her kindness, compassion and talent for teaching lives on in the children she impacted during her time here."
Former pupils recalled a warm, down-to-earth presence who continued to be a part of school life even after her identity was revealed. Sophie Usher described the duchess as a "lovely lass" who was "funny" and said the duchess provided comfort when pupils were upset. Jackson Windas said the duchess was "really, really genuine" and that learning her full identity "didn't change a thing" about how she behaved in the classroom.
Reports indicate the duchess's role at the school was first publicly disclosed in 2004. Local coverage at the time linked her decision to teach in Hull with long-standing family and regional ties, quoting her as saying, "It's close to home and home is where the heart is." She told the Daily Mail that passing on a love of music to children was "the greatest privilege."
Throughout her life the duchess combined public service and a private commitment to music education. Her years at Wansbeck Primary School, carried out with discretion and under an informal title, drew praise from staff and former pupils who said her teaching left a lasting impression on the school's community.