15 September 2025 , 19:32
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The coffin of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, has been received during a solemn ceremony at Westminster Cathedral on the eve of her funeral service.
Soldiers from The Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment she supported, carried the coffin from the royal hearse into the place of worship.
Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin, the Duke of Kent, died peacefully at home, aged 92, on 4 September.
A devout Roman Catholic, in 1994 she became the first royal to convert to the faith in more than 300 years.
She had wished for her funeral to be held at Westminster Cathedral.
The duchess’s immediate family, including her widower, the Duke of Kent, and their daughter Lady Helen Taylor, were welcomed by the Dean of Westminster Cathedral Father Slawomir Witon.
They watched from the cathedral steps as the soldiers slowly carried the coffin in.
It was draped with the royal standard, which had a white ermine border signifying she was the spouse of a prince.
There was a large floral display on top of the standard.
Ahead of the coffin’s arrival, the Duke of Kent’s siblings, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra, entered the cathedral to take their place before a series of private funeral rites.
Those included a Vigil for the Deceased, Rite of Reception, which usually involves the coffin being sprinkled with holy water, and evening prayers known as Vespers, taken by Bishop James Curry, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Titular Bishop of Ramsbury.
It will be attended by the King, Queen and other senior royals.
The funeral will be the first Catholic funeral service held for a member of the royal family in modern British history.
Katharine, who shed her HRH title and preferred to be known simply as “Kate”, dedicated 13 years to teaching in a primary school in Hull.
Beyond her teaching career, the duchess was an unassuming charity worker. She volunteered for the Samaritans and travelled globally as a Unicef ambassador.
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