Duke of Kent Marks 91st Birthday at Wigmore Hall
The Duke of Kent spent his 91st birthday on Friday 9 October at Wigmore Hall, the London concert hall he supports as Patron, an honorary role held over many years.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, turned 91 that day, with King Charles III leading tributes to his cousin, as reported on 9 October Tatler. The Duke was born as Prince Edward on 9 October 1935 at 3 Belgrave Square in London Royal.uk. He marked the birthday with family and friends in the place most associated with his public work in music.
He arrived with Lady Susan Hussey, Prince William's godmother, in what was described as a rare joint appearance Hello!. Wigmore Hall shared a short clip of the pair arriving on its Instagram account. The footage shows the Duke using a walking stick as he greeted a member of staff before going up the stairs.
The Hall's caption read: "We are honoured to welcome HRH The Duke of Kent and his family on his 91st birthday." HRH, short for His Royal Highness, is the style used for senior working members of the Royal Family.
Lady Susan had also made a rare appearance in April at a reception at Buckingham Palace with members of the Royal Family. That reception celebrated the centenary for the late Queen Elizabeth II, who would have turned 100 in 2026.
The Wigmore Hall outing was the Duke's first birthday since the death of his wife, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, in September 2025. The couple had been married for 63 years. The Duchess died on 4 September at the age of 92, and made her final public appearance in honour of her husband's 89th birthday in 2024.
Her funeral was the first Catholic funeral held for a member of the Royal Family in modern history. The Duchess had converted to Catholicism in the 1990s.
It has also been a difficult autumn for the Duke's household. Nicholas Turnbull, his private secretary since 2019, died on 16 September 2026 at the age of 63. He had been appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order, an honour given by the monarch for personal service to the sovereign, by King Charles III days before his death. He leaves behind two teenage sons, Alexander and Crispin.
The Duke continues a steady round of duties. As Patron of Wigmore Hall, he attends concerts and anniversaries there. In March he visited veterans at Bletchley Park, the wartime codebreaking centre in Buckinghamshire.
What makes this stand out is simple continuity. At 91, and after a year of loss, he chose a working birthday among musicians and family. The stick was there. So was the smile.
