Lady Helen Taylor carrying forward Duchess of Kent’s legacy

Lady Helen Taylor is stepping into the spotlight once more as the Royal Family mourns the loss of her mother, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who passed away at the age of 92. 

Lady Helen has long balanced her royal heritage with an independent life beyond palace walls.

The second child of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, she was born on 28 April 1964. 

At the time, she was eighth in line to the throne and today, she is 47th. Educated at Eton End School in Datchet, St Mary’s School in Wantage, and later at Gordonstoun in Scotland, she shared the alma mater of Prince Philip, King Charles, and Zara Tindall. It was there she pursued her passion for art, a calling that would later define her career.

Unlike many of her royal cousins, Lady Helen and her brothers, George, Earl of St Andrews, and Lord Nicholas Windsor, have never been working royals. 

Instead, they’ve carved out their own paths. Helen dived into the art world first, beginning at Christie’s auction house before going on to forge a glittering career in the fashion industry most notably with Giorgio Armani.

She has long proved that life beyond the palace gates can be every bit as fascinating. After discovering her passion for the arts, she cut her teeth in the industry working alongside renowned dealer Karsten Schubert from 1987 to 1991. 

During this time, she helped spotlight artists who would go on to become household names, including Turner Prize winner Rachel Whiteread and Gary Hume. 

Swapping galleries for the glamour of fashion, Lady Helen became a brand ambassador for luxury giants such as Calvin Klein and Bulgari, before becoming the face of Giorgio Armani. 

She once quipped about the perks of the job: “A lot of my friends are really jealous but I lend them clothes, so not too jealous.”

Helen also serves as a patron of the children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent, sits as a trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, and contributes her expertise on the advisory board of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.