Katherine, the Duchess of Kent, once a highlight of Wimbledon Trophy day, who disappeared into obscurity after she gave up her HRH title and stepped back from public life 20 years ago, has revealed she taught music at a Yorkshire primary school for thirteen years.
There had been speculation she was a recluse, suffering from agoraphobia, given her earlier bouts with depression after an abortion in 1975 because of rubella and having a stillborn son two years later. But clearly not. She just wanted a quiet life out of the spotlight.
Music always been her passion and she also gave piano lessons in a rented studio flat near her official residence at Kensington Palace, served as the president of the Royal Northern College of Music, and was the director of National Foundation for Youth Music from 1999 to 2007. At the primary school she was known as Mrs Kent and no one noticed.
She was born 22 February 1933 8am York, England, and married the Queen’s first cousin the Duke of Kent when she was 28, going on to have three children, and became the first member of the royal family to convert to Roman Catholicism since the passing of the Act of Settlement in 1701.
She has a see-saw chart with a 12th house Pisces Sun, North Node, Mercury opposition Neptune, Mars and Jupiter in Virgo in her 6th house. So her life will have been a balancing act, swinging from one extreme to another. Her friendly Aquarius Moon is conjunct a cool Saturn which in turn is conjunct a friendly, charming Venus. Her 12th house Pisces Sun, North Node will incline her towards music and also to understanding those suffering mental problems.
Her independent-minded Uranus in her 1st house square her 5th house Pluto will make him more determined to rock the boat and pursue her own course than her ethereal image suggests.
See-saw personalities tend to need another half to make them feel stable and both she and the Duke of Kent have their respective Suns in each other’s 7th house which is ideal, though it isn’t close combination with his Saturn conjunct her Sun and her Uranus opposition his Sun.
Their relationship chart is not easy with a volatile composite Uranus opposition Mars Jupiter square Pluto; and Sun trine Uranus sextile Moon Saturn. But they seem to have got on with their lives without causing great upheavals or attracting undue publicity.
If it is true that she likes gangsta rap then it is interesting to see Pluto (traditionally linked to gangsters) in the 5th. Pluto squares Uranus – is there is a strong staccato (break-beats) sound in rap?
Uranus (dispositor of her Moon) in Aries is in a tight square to Pluto in the 5th which emphasizes the challenges/ losses she experienced in relation to having children.
Sun in Water/ Moon in Air (conjunct Saturn) can be a difficult combination; perhaps reflecting the see-saw quality of her chart.
If only Meghan and Harry could take note
Well, it seems she is one of those royal figures who found their calling, and I always am pleased to see them, rather than the ones suffering through their lives. 12th house Pisces Sun clearly must have found public life insufferable, but would definitely be connected to music. Also, no doubt, an 11th house Aquarius Moon is a great position for a teacher.
She’s a big fan of Eminem and Ice Cube apparently as well as gangsta rap. For someone of her background and generation that would be quite unusual. She sounds great!
She does indeed sound great! The Venus/Uranus connection could mean her musical tastes are eclectic, or unusual in some way. The right kind of Duchess anyway, if you see what I mean…..