Katharine, Duchess of Kent’s goddaughter, India Hicks, has penned a heartbreaking tribute to the royal who died aged 92 earlier this week and shared a sweet story
The Duchess of Kent’s goddaughter has shared a heartbreaking tribute to the royal who died aged 92. Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that Her Royal Highness had died surrounded by her family on Thursday evening at her home, Wren House, Kensington Palace.
Katharine, the wife of the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Prince Edward, was last seen in public in October alongside her husband in a wheelchair. Following Her Majesty’s death in September 2022, Katharine had been the oldest living member of the Royal Family and has now been succeeded by her husband, the Duke of Kent.
However, in recent years, she has stepped back from public appearances and didn’t attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral or King Charles’ Coronation in May 2023. Now, her goddaughter, model and philanthropist India Hicks, who works with the Harbour Island Foodbank, has taken to social media to reveal an insight into her bond with the Duchess.
Sharing two pictures taken with her godmother, India, the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten, penned: “My grandfather’s funeral was held on my 11th Birthday. It took place on 5th September 1979, following his assassination by the IRA.
“Before the service, on the steps of Westminster Abbey, Princess Grace approached my mother. Seeing me, she caught sight of a gold cross I was wearing and, bending down, commented on how lovely it was. ‘Thank you. It is brand-new today, from my godmother.’ I replied childishly.”
She added: “My Godmother, the Duchess of Kent, had remembered that it would be my birthday. She had organised in a short amount of time to have this small cross engraved with the date. She was an involved Godmum. She attended my christening (seen here standing next to another exceptional godparent) she attended my confirmation, she even attended my daughter’s christening.
“She never forget a birthday or Christmas. She would send me letters to boarding school written in her beautiful spidery handwriting. A thoughtful and graceful godmother whose deeply personal faith journey left a lasting impression on me as a teenager. I woke to the news that my godmother had slipped away last night. There is a kind of blessing in departing peacefully after a long life threaded with such compassion, and devotion.”
In the picture, a baby India was seen alongside her parents, Lady Pamela Hicks and David Hicks, her godfather, the then Prince Charles, Lord Mountbatten and the Duchess of Kent. A second image showed the model and Duchess in more recent years, smiling as they wrapped up during the winter months.
India’s grandfather, Lord Mountbatten, was murdered by the Irish Republican Army during a fishing trip in August 1979. Today, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duchess of Kent’s funeral will take place at Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday. King Charles, Queen Camilla and other senior members of the House of Windsor, as well as the Duchess’s close friends and family, are expected to attend the ceremony at Westminster Cathedral.
Prince Andrew, who is a non-working member of the firm, and Prince Harry, who is in the UK for a week, may also be in attendance. It will be the first royal Catholic funeral in modern history and the first royal funeral held at Westminster Cathedral since its construction in 1903. The duchess’s special military relationships will be reflected in aspects of the ceremony, which will start at 2pm.
Ahead of the funeral, which will be officiated by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, her coffin will rest in the private chapel at Kensington Palace. It will be taken by hearse to Westminster Cathedral on Monday, where the Rite of Reception and Vespers will take place before resting overnight in the Lady Chapel. After the funeral, the coffin will be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor.
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