Elegant Yorkshire royal who had common touch

BORN Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, she married Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent in 1961. The couple had three children - George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor.

- By Emily Ferguson

The Duchess suffered a devastating miscarriage in 1975 after catching German measles. Two years later, she endured further heartbreak when she gave birth to a stillborn son, Patrick.

The experience sent her into a deep depression.

She also faced a number of other health issues, including a recurrent gallbladder problem, treatment for an ovarian cyst and the Epstein-Barr virus with symptoms like those of ME.

In her heyday, the Duchess was one of the most popular members of the Royal Family. She earned the respect of Queen Elizabeth as she travelled the world as a Unicef ambassador, volunteered for the Samaritans and presented trophies at Wimbledon.