The grieving family of the late Duchess of Kent, along with her heartbroken widow the Duke of Kent, have gathered at Westminster Cathedral to say their final farewells
The heartbroken family of the late Duchess of Kent – including her husband the Duke of Kent – have gathered at London’s Westminster Cathedral to pay their respects and say their final farewells.
The Duchess’s three children – George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Taylor – as well as her ten grandchildren arrived at the cathedral dressed in black to honour the extraordinary life led by Katharine, or Mrs Kent as she preferred to be called.
Lady Helen Taylor supported her father’s arm as they walked into Westminster Cathedral together, followed by Lady Helen’s husband Timothy Taylor, along with their children Columbus, Eloise, Cassius and Estella.
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The Duke and Duchess of Kent’s son George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, and his children Lady Amelia Windsor, Lady Marina Windsor, and Lord Edward Downpatrick walked alongside their family, followed by Lord Nicholas Taylor and his sons Leopold Windsor, Albert Windsor, and Louis Windsor.
King Charles also arrived at Westminster Cathedral, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales. William and Kate were confirmed to attend the funeral earlier today, as Kensington Palace released a statement on their attendance. Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, Princess Anne and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh were also present at the funeral service.
Shortly before the funeral began, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Camilla would not attend the service as she is recovering from acute sinusitis.
Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on the evening of September 4 aged 92. Her Catholic funeral – a requiem mass – is the first to be held for a member of the monarchy in modern British history.
When the Duchess died earlier this month, William and Kate paid tribute to her in a heartfelt message saying: ” Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas.
“The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music. She will be a much missed member of the family. W & C.”
Charles and Camilla also honoured the Duchess’s life after her passing with a post on social media that read: “The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”
The Duchess, born Katharine Worsley, became best known for presenting the trophies at Wimbledon and memorably comforted a sobbing Jana Novotna after she lost the 1993 ladies’ singles final to Steffi Graf.
In 2002, she stepped back from royal duties, dropping her HRH style and spending her time as a low-key music teacher at a state school in Hull, where she was simply known as Mrs Kent.
Her public appearances became few and far between in recent years, although she attended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.
She was last seen in public last October at an event to mark the 89th birthday of her husband, when he was serenaded with Happy Birthday on the bagpipes outside the entrance of their Kensington Palace home, Wren House.
