Tributes have been paid to the Ryedale-born Duchess of Kent who has been described as an 'empathetic and kind' woman who worked "tirelessly to help others".
The Duchess died on Thursday evening at Kensington Palace in London, aged 92, surrounded by her family.
Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley on February 22 1933, she had an aristocratic upbringing as the only daughter of landowner Colonel Sir William Worsley - a baronet - and Lady Worsley of Hovingham Hall.
She married King George V's grandson Edward, Duke of Kent, at York Minster in 1961.
The pair have three surviving children, George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Windsor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
The Duchess' nephew, Sir William Worsley, who currently lives at Hovingham Hall said: "The family are deeply saddened by the death of the Duchess of Kent. She was a much loved member of our family as well as the royal family. She loved Hovingham and she was very proud of her Yorkshire roots. Her passion for music and her work for her charity Future Talent has benefited so many. She will be much missed."
Sir William said the flag on the Hall was at half mast and the bell in the church will be tolled during the Duchess' funeral service. Village cricketers wore black armbands and held two minutes silence before the match last Saturday.
Sir William also confirmed that the family would be planting a tree in her memory later in the year.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said he hoped her family would find consolation and comfort in their Christian faith.
In 1994, she became the first royal to be received into the Roman Catholic Church in nearly 300 years.
"Her own deep and profound faith led her from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism," Mr Cottrell said, "a moment the then Archbishop of Canterbury described as a 'personal decision of a devout Christian on a spiritual journey'."
"She was held in high esteem by all who met her and knew her," he added.
Dame Esther Rantzen also praised the duchess, who she came to know thanks to her support of Childline, saying: "She was beautiful, she was elegant, and above all, she was empathetic and kind."
"She was an amazing woman. I think that her royal role was quite a challenge for her because she was quite a shy person and she had her share of illnesses, but, I could tell, I think she sacrificed herself for the sake of others."
Cllr David Jeffels, who, as Chairman of North Yorkshire County Council, met the Duchess following the collapse of the landmark river bridge in Tadcaster in January 2016, recalled how her visit to the town and especially the parish church had made a major impact on her.
“She was anxious to visit the church which had suffered flooding of some three feet deep and spotted two engineers working in the chancel to clear the water and debris.
“I asked if she would like to meet them and she replied enthusiastically . Somewhat embarrassed because they were in their overalls and wearing long rubber gloves they talked to the duchess, answering her many questions about their work. It was a royal visit at its very best by someone so respected in North Yorkshire, and with a great interest in the flood disaster which hit Tadcaster so hard.”
The Duchess maintained her strong links to the region throughout her life.
She travelled by royal train to officially open the North Yorkshire Moors Railway between Grosmont and Pickering on May 1, 1973 and founded the charity Future Talent.
The organisation, whose ambassadors include the musician Sting, works to break down barriers and give children from low-income backgrounds equal opportunities to excel in music by helping with the purchase of instruments and funding of lessons.
Regular concerts for the charity were held at Hovingham Hall.
The Duchess was also known for consoling losing Wimbledon finalists, notably a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993, and presented trophies at the championships for many years.
She preferred to be known as Mrs Kent and dropped her HRH style, retreating from royal life to spend more than a decade teaching music in a state primary school in Hull.
The Palace announced the duchess's death "with deep sadness" in an official statement under a black royal crest, and praised her "life-long" devotion to her charities and empathy for young people.
"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," the Palace said.
The funeral of the Duchess of Kent will take place at Westminster Cathedral on September 16 at 2pm
Afterwards, the duchess's coffin will be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor.
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