Royal family RECAP: Prince Harry sends condolences privately to the Duchess of Kent’s family

Good morning! 

It's HELLO!'s Acting TV Editor Nicky Morris bringing you all of the latest royal news and updates. 

Today, we can look forward to seeing the Duchess of Edinburgh on her Canada trip. 

Sophie is expected to attend the Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary, Alberta over the next couple of days. 

The show jumping venue announced that the Duchess had become its patron in April. 

After resuming her royal duties earlier this week, the Princess Royal will visit fabric store, Fermoie Limited, and open a new facility at Silverwood School in Wiltshire later today. 

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It comes after she visited Warwickshire yesterday, where she reopened the Lord Leycester Hospital Medieval Heritage Centre.

King Frederik and Queen Mary will be out later today (12pm local time) to mark Denmark's Flag Day. 

The royal couple have a busy autumn schedule after spending part of their summer holiday abroad with their children.

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On Thursday night, the Duchess of Edinburgh arrived in Canada and was photographed making her way into the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary, Alberta for the Internationalists Dinner. 

The Duchess looked elegant in a blue floral dress and a white blazer as she smiled at photographers. 

Her trip is also expected to include a visit to the show jumping venue Spruce Meadows, of which the Duchess had become its patron in April.

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The Princess of Wales shared a rare update on her children as she and Prince William spoke to well-wishers outside the Natural History Museum in London at their joint engagement on Thursday. 

Speaking to a member of the public who asked about Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, Kate revealed that her children are "getting big".

In the social media clip, Kate is seen telling the well-wisher: "They are getting big now! George is already in my shoes," meaning that her eldest son is now the same shoe size as her. 

Read the full story. 

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As the Princess of Wales switches up her iconic brunette locks for a lighter do, take a look back at her hair evolution over the years, from her sleek and straight look in the mid-noughties to her long bob a decade later.  

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Since 1832, the Braemar Gathering has been a highlight of the sporting calendar in Scotland. 

Each September, members of the royal family, including the reigning monarch, make their way to The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in the scenic Cairngorms village of Braemar, where the most prominent and well-attended Highland games in the world take place. 

While the King and Queen were in attendance last year, we wonder who else could be joining them for this year's Gathering on Friday. Stay tuned to find out!

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The Duchess of Kent, wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, has died, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement that Katharine, 92, died peacefully on Thursday evening at her Kensington Palace home, surrounded by her family.

The King and Queen join Katharine's family in mourning their loss, the statement says. 

The Palace said: “It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.

“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family.

“The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”

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Royal fans have expressed their sadness over the death of the Duchess of Kent, who died aged 92 on Thursday evening. 

Taking to social media, one person wrote: "Great sadness at the loss of HRH The Duchess of Kent," while another added: "Such sad news about The Duchess of Kent. She was a beloved member of The Royal Family."

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The Duchess of Kent's charity, Future Talent, which she founded in 2004 to give children from deprived backgrounds the opportunity to take up music, has paid tribute to the royal following her passing. 

Taking to Instagram, the charity posted: "Everyone at Future Talent is deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of Katharine - our Co-Founder and the visionary behind our charity.

"Nicholas Robinson OBE, Co-Founder of Future Talent said: 'We send our heartfelt condolences to Katharine’s family. She was an inspiration who was loved by so many people over the years and will be greatly missed. We have lost a very special person.'"

The Royal Collection Trust shared a tribute to the Duchess of Kent on Instagram. The charity, which is responsible for the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, one of the world's largest art collections, and for looking after visitors to the royal palaces, shared the news of Katharine's passing on their official Instagram account. 

Alongside a black-and-white photo of the duchess, the post read: "It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent. Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family. The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people."

A notice has gone up on the gates of Buckingham Palace announcing the death of the Duchess of Kent.

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Katharine, Duchess of Kent, leaves behind her three children, George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor, who will be mourning their mother's death alongside their father, the Duke of Kent, and the rest of the royal family. 

But who is Lady Helen? Click here to read all about her life, from her incredible career to marrying her teenage sweetheart.

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The flag is now flying at half-mast over Buckingham Palace as a symbolic act of mourning and respect. This is customary practice following the death of a member of the royal family or a foreign leader.

The Prince and Princess of Wales posted their own tribute to the Duchess of Kent on social media.

The joint message read: "Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas. 

"The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music.

"She will be a much missed member of the family. W & C.

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Take a look back on the life of the Duchess of Kent following her death aged 92. 

The royal, who wed Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, in 1961, was a self-professed 'Yorkshire lass' who turned her back on royal duties later in life in order to enjoy a fulfilling career as a music teacher in Hull.

Read HELLO!'s obituary here. 

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King Frederik and Queen Mary have stepped out to mark the National Flag Day for the Danish Armed Forces at Kastellet in Copenhagen.

The royal couple were pictured laying a wreath at the Monument for Denmark's international efforts after 1948.

Frederik donned his naval uniform while Mary was dressed in a camel coat and a dark green dress. 

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Katharine married King George V's grandson Edward, Duke of Kent, dubbed Steady Eddie by the royal family for his dependable service, in a grand ceremony in York Minster in 1961 and became known for her elegant fashion style.

The bride wore a high-necked, long-sleeved dress with a fitted waist, created by Irish designer, John Cavanagh, with a diamond bandeau tiara, which belonged to the groom's late grandmother, Queen Mary.

Watch the happy couple walk down the aisle on their big day...

The Duchess of Kent's granddaughter, Lady Amelia Windsor, 30, has paid a touching tribute to her grandmother on social media. 

She posted a glamorous black and white shot image of the Duchess, taken in her younger years, alongside a red heart emoji.

The model is the youngest daughter of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews and his wife, Sylvana Tomaselli.

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King Felipe was pictured after presiding over the Opening Ceremony of the Judicial Year 2025/2026, at the Palace of Justice, seat of the Supreme Court, in Madrid on Friday.

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Dame Esther Rantzen paid tribute to the Duchess of Kent, saying: "She was beautiful, she was elegant, and above all, she was empathetic and kind.”

Dame Esther, founder president of Childline, told the PA news agency: "Right from Childline's earliest days, the Duchess of Kent absolutely understood why it provides unique support and protection for the most vulnerable children, and she helped us in many different ways.

"One particular event, I remember, because she was herself a volunteer Samaritan, she was tremendously supportive to our Childline volunteers, and we used to give special awards for those who'd made outstanding contributions, which she presented and always had an understanding word to share with our volunteers and staff."

Read her tribute in full.

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It's been a sad day for the royal family following the news of the Duchess of Kent's death, and we're thinking of them all at this difficult time.

That's it from me in the London office this afternoon, as I hand over to our Los Angeles correspondent, Rebecca Lewis.

Have a good weekend, wherever you are. 

It's been confirmed that the Duchess of Kent's funeral will be taking place at Westminster Abbey. It's expected the service will be held in the coming weeks, find out more here...

Good morning, afternoon, or evening to our HELLO! readers around the globe. 

Friday September 5 saw sad news come from the British royal family, who confirmed the passing of Katharine, Duchess of Kent.

The British royal family has now entered an official period of mourning, and Buckingham Palace confirmed that the funeral will be held in the coming weeks at Westminster Cathedral. 

Straying from tradition, Katharine, who died on Thursday, September 4, aged 92, is expected to have the first Catholic funeral service held for a member of the royal family in modern British history, with King Charles and Queen Camilla likely to attend alongside other senior royals.

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Our royal editor Emily Nash wrote a moving obituary to the late royal, who is survived by her husband, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent – a first cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth II – and their three children, and ten grandchildren. 

Season 5 of HELLO!'s popular podcast, A Right Royal Podcast, is back, and hosts Andrea Caamano and Emily Nash are joined by none other than Courtiers author Valentine Low, who has published a new book, Power and the Palace. 

In it, the former The Times royal correspondent uncovers many unknown details about the royal family and their relationship with the government, including how Queen Camilla fought off an attempted sexual assault on a tube as a teenager, that the late Queen was a "Remainer," and much more. 

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or click here!

Tributes are still coming in from the royal family after the death of the  Duchess of Kent, including from the Prince and Princess of Wales.

"Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas," it read.

Read their full statement here, along with the other tributes.

HELLO! understands The Duke of Sussex has sent condolences privately to the Duchess of Kent’s family, following her passing.

Katharine was Harry's great-aunt.

The royal family are in mourning following the death of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who was mother to three children with her husband, the Duke of Kent. George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor rarely make appearances with their wider family and aren't considered to be working royals, allowing them to carve out their own lives free of royal constraints.

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Lady Helen in particular had a close bond with her mother, with the pair seen attending events together earlier this year, including an evening at the London Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside Prince Edward. 

Read our feature on their relationship here.