The Duke and Duchess of Kent attended an event in Kensington on Thursday morning to remember the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire which occurred one year ago to the day.
Edward and Katharine were joined by the victims’ families, friends and members of the local community to remember those who perished in the blaze.
The Duchess of Kent teaches part-time at a local school attended by children who lived in Grenfell Tower. pic.twitter.com/e16wkdrPqx
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 14, 2018
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At the event, the Duke laid a wreath on behalf of The Royal Family in commemoration of the victims.
This event was one of the very few engagements that the Duchess of Kent has attended over the past decade.
She retired from royal duties in the 1990s and has rarely been seen at an official event since.
However, Buckingham Palace announced this afternoon that the Duchess has been working behind the scenes as a part-time teacher. She has been teaching children who lived in Grenfell Tower at a local primary school.
The Duchess, who asks her students to call her “Mrs Kent”, teaches part-time at a local school attended by children who lived in the tower before it set ablaze last year.
No further details have been released about the 85-year-old royal’s teaching schedule, although it is thought she retired from the profession some years ago and has only recently returned.
72 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire last year, with hundreds more losing their homes and possessions.
This includes many children who have had to deal with the loss of many of their friends and classmates.
The Duchess of Kent first started teaching in the late 1990s following her withdrawal from public life in 1996. Shortly after leaving palace life, the Duchess found employment in a new job in Hull. For ten years Katharine worked as a music teacher at a primary school. Her real identity was never detected meaning she could do a job she loved without intrusion.
Also paying tribute to the Grenfell Tower victims on Thursday was The Queen who led the nation in a 72-second silence.
Her Majesty was in Chester with the Duchess of Sussex conducting a day of joint engagements but paused at midday for the silence.
