The royal family has gathered in London for the funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who died on 4 September 2025 at the age of 92. Her passing marked the end of a remarkable life of quiet service, devotion to charity, and a groundbreaking role in royal religious history.
The service, held today at Westminster Cathedral, is the first Catholic funeral for a senior British royal in modern times. The Duchess, who converted to Catholicism in 1994, became the first high-ranking member of the monarchy to do so openly since the Reformation.
Royals Gather in Mourning
King Charles III led the mourners, arriving alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales and other senior royals. The gathering highlighted both the solemnity of the occasion and the deep respect the royal family held for the late Duchess.
Queen Camilla, however, was unable to attend due to acute sinusitis, a decision Buckingham Palace confirmed ahead of the service.
A Service of Tradition and Faith
The Requiem Mass was led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster. A piper from the Royal Dragoon Guards played Sleep, Dearie, Sleep—the same haunting lament heard at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022—as the Duchess’s coffin was processed through the cathedral.
The coffin had been received at Westminster Cathedral on 15 September, where it remained overnight following the traditional Rite of Reception and Vespers, ahead of today’s service.
A Legacy of Service
Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, she became Duchess of Kent in 1961 after marrying Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Beyond her royal duties, she was admired for her commitment to music education and youth charities.
In the 1990s, she famously taught music at a primary school in Hull under her married name, “Mrs. Kent,” before founding Future Talent, a charity dedicated to supporting young musicians from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Final Resting Place
Following today’s Mass, the Duchess will be laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore, Windsor, where generations of royals have been interred.
Her death closes a chapter in royal history, but her legacy as a compassionate, quietly trailblazing royal—who balanced duty with deep personal conviction—will endure.
