The funeral of the Duchess of Kent is set for tomorrow, marking the first Catholic royal funeral in modern British history. The King, Queen, and senior royals will attend the private requiem mass, held 12 days after Katharine’s peaceful passing at home, surrounded by family.
This afternoon, the Duchess’s coffin will be escorted from Kensington Palace to Westminster Cathedral by a military piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment she supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief since 1992. Service members from the regiment will form the bearer party, carrying the coffin into the cathedral, where it will rest overnight in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The private funeral rites today include a Vigil for the Deceased and Rite of Reception, involving the sprinkling of holy water, led by Bishop James Curry, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster. Evening prayers, known as Vespers, will follow.
Katharine, wife of the late Queen’s cousin, the Duke of Kent, converted to Catholicism in 1992, becoming the first royal to do so in over 300 years. She stepped back from royal duties and her HRH title in 2002 to live privately. Her funeral at Westminster Cathedral, the first royal funeral there since its 1903 construction, fulfills her wishes.
While the King will not be the first monarch to attend a Catholic funeral—Queen Elizabeth II attended King Baudouin of Belgium’s in 1993—the presence of the King, head of the Church of England, and the heir at this service is a notable moment for ecumenical relations. Charles attended Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005, and Prince William attended Pope Francis’s funeral mass earlier this year.
