Despite her growing vulnerability, the Duchess of Kent is determined to leave a lasting legacy.
And I can reveal that she will celebrate her 91st birthday on Thursday by launching a ‘groundbreaking’ partnership between two of her charities to nurture the musical talents of talented young singers from low-income backgrounds across the country.
Katharine, who is married to Queen Elizabeth’s cousin the Duke of Kent, founded the charity Future Talent, which works with the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain, of which she is patron.
The program aims to encourage the next generation of singers, who receive a full scholarship each year during the school holidays to take part in the choir’s week-long residential courses.
The children have the opportunity to participate in performances, workshops, master classes and recordings.
Despite her growing vulnerability, the Duchess of Kent is determined to leave a lasting legacy. In the photo 2012
The Duchess of Kent with her daughter Lady Helen Taylor at a Future Talent Gala Fundraising Evening at Ronnie Scott’s Club in 2008
“I am truly delighted to witness the collaboration of Future Talent and the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain in this important undertaking,” said the Duchess.
“This partnership embodies the spirit of inclusivity and accessibility, with a shared commitment to nurturing the musical talents of the future.”
Nick Robinson, the chairman and co-founder of Future Talent, tells me: ‘It gives me great pleasure to wish Katharine a very happy birthday.
‘She is cheerful and likes to hear news about Future Talent and our young musicians.
“She fully supports our new initiative with the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain. Katharine is very grateful for all the sweet messages on her birthday.’
The Duchess, born Katharine Worsley, has long championed the cause of providing access to music education to young talents across Britain.
She taught music at a primary school in East Hull, where she was called ‘Mrs Kent’ and would travel by train from her home in Kensington Palace, London.
She even revealed in a newspaper interview that she had a fondness for rap music, especially American stars Eminem and Ice Cube.
Katharine married the Duke, Prince Edward, a grandson of George V, at York Minster in 1961, and the couple had three children: George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
The Duchess has long been a supporter of providing access to music education to young talent across Britain. She is pictured visiting Helen House Hospice in 1985
The Duchess has kept a low profile since stepping back from her royal duties in 1996. In 2002, she decided not to use the style ‘Her Royal Highness’, memorably telling the BBC: ‘Call me Katharine’.
However, she has accompanied her husband to formal family events such as Trooping the Color and royal weddings, including those of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.
Nadiya’s grief over Strictly boyfriend Robin
Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has been left devastated by the death of her friend and colleague Robin Windsor.
“His death has come as quite a shock to the whole Strictly family,” she tells me at the London Fashion Week closing party, in collaboration with the Pendulum Private members app, at Home House.
Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova (pictured) has been left devastated by the death of her friend and colleague Robin Windsor
The circumstances surrounding the death of Windsor, 44, have not been confirmed, but Ukrainian Nadiya, 34, says she regrets not checking in with him.
‘I saw him not so long ago, in January, in one of the studios. He taught and rehearsed,” she says. ‘It will take time to come to terms with what has happened. I now realize how important it is to share things.’
Was Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle – who made such a mistake in the House of Commons yesterday – suffering from jet lag?
Sir Lindsay, not averse to free gifts, has just returned from a five-day trip to St Helena, where he planted a yew tree and presented a Guinness World Records certificate to a 192-year-old tortoise called Jonathan.
Given yesterday’s sad jokes, perhaps he should have stayed in the South Atlantic?
Was Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle – who made such a mistake in the House of Commons yesterday – suffering from jet lag?
Reading is a great passion of Queen Camilla, but here’s a job that may even be beyond her ability to concentrate: the Royal Collection Trust wants a curator of books and manuscripts.
‘With more than 220,000 books and manuscripts… the size and breadth of the Royal Library offers a truly unique working environment,’ it says.
The £32,000-a-year role is at Windsor Castle.
It’s a Thor point… The computer gave Natalie muscles
Hollywood star Natalie Portman’s muscular physique in the Thor films sparked a lot of commentary about her workout routine at the gym.
But the 42-year-old actress now admits that computer wizardry helped just as much.
When asked how she built her muscles to play Jane Foster in the superhero movie, she says, “CG (Computer Generation). I mean, I trained, but they helped me a lot.
Hollywood star Natalie Portman’s muscular physique in the Thor films sparked a lot of commentary about her workout routine at the gym
The 42-year-old actress now admits that computer wizardry helped just as much. Pictured in 2022
“They made me six feet tall, and it’s great to know that’s possible.”
The Oscar winner’s personal trainer Naomi Pendergast has previously spoken about her grueling work in the gym.
“Natalie did five sessions a week and didn’t miss a single session for the entire period we trained,” she said, revealing that the main aim had been to increase the size of the muscles on Portman’s arms and abdomen.
“We also worked on stability and agility to avoid injuries as Natalie had some dynamic stunt scenes,” she added.
Four Weddings And A Funeral star Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, who played Churchill’s wife Clementine in Darkest Hour, is trying to make her own films more French.
The 63-year-old actress made her directorial debut with North Star last year. ‘Film in Britain is not seen as an art form; there’s a different attitude,” she tells me at the launch of Andrew Gilmour’s book The Burning Question.
‘French films are not better, but they are more interested in society than in great adventures.’
Dame Kristin, a British-French national, adds: ‘I want to make stories about families and relationships.’
Four Weddings And A Funeral star Dame Kristin Scott Thomas is trying to make her films more French
Sir Keir Starmer remained on such good terms with his ex, lawyer Phillippa Kaufmann, that she attended his wedding and donated to his Labor leadership campaign.
Yet Kaufmann, with whom Sir Keir bought a house during their six-year relationship, appears disillusioned with his policies. “I want to be encouraging and I don’t want to change him,” she says in Tom Baldwin’s book, Keir Starmer: The Biography.
“But I’m not going to be his spokesperson, and some of the things that are happening are extremely difficult for me.”