The Duchess of Kent leads an active public life as a practicing musician. Through teaching in primary schools, she has experienced first hand the lack of opportunities for the musically talented child.

In 2004 she founded a charity, Future Talent, which aims to give every child an equal opportunity to excel in music. Future Talent seeks to do for musically talented children what teaching care and motivation did for Billy Elliot in dance. Through tailor-made partnerships with primary schools, Future Talent is bringing music into the lives of all children, spotting talent, equipping talented children with instruments and tuition and, in exceptional cases, providing master tuition to enable them to make music their future.

Whether children want to sing, play the violin or the electric guitar, Future Talent is giving them the chance to fulfil their potential through developing their musical talent. The benefit to children is inestimable; it is the difference between Billy Elliot kicking his bedroom walls in frustration or joining the Royal Ballet School. For more information, visit www.futuretalent.org.

The Duchess of Kent is also a Trustee of the National Foundation for Youth Music (London), President and Board Member of the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester), and an ambassador for Aldeburgh Productions in Suffolk.

She has travelled the world for UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Fund) and VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), highlighting specific areas of deprivation. In 1999 she visited Cambodia Macedonia and Nepal.

She retains her links with Yorkshire as Colonel-in-Chief of The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Adjutant General's Corps, The Royal Logistics Corps and The Royal Dragoon Guards.

She has been President of NCH Action For Children and President and Board Member of Macmillan Cancer Relief. She chaired the London Committee of the Manchester Christie (Cancer) Hospital Appeal for £25m.

The Duchess is Patron of the RUC Benevolvent Fund in Northern Ireland.

She has been Visitor to the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Patron of Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane, Australia, the Yehudi Menuin School (UK), the Ulster Conservatoire of Music and the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

The Duchess of Kent holds the Honorary Freedom of four of the ancient City companies: the Worshipful Companies of Clothworkers, Dyers, Glaziers, and the Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers.

The Duchess was created a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in 1977. She was awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City of York in 1989.

In 1994 The Duchess was received into the Roman Catholic church and has been a volunteer for the Passage Night Shelter of the homeless.