The Princess of Wales put on a sombre display in black as she attended the Duchess of Kent’s funeral today, alongside her husband William.
Kate, 43, remembered the Duchess, who became the oldest living member of the Royal Family when Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, alongside other members of the Royal Family today.
The Duchess died aged 92 while surrounded by family at Kensington Palace earlier this month.
Following the announcement, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a loving tribute, saying that she would be ‘much missed’.
The future king and queen described how she had ‘worked tirelessly’ in her life to help others.
In a statement signed ‘W & C’, the Prince and Princess of Wales said: ‘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’.
In keeping with Roman Catholic tradition, her coffin travelled from Kensington Palace to the cathedral on Monday, a day before the main service, for a series of private funeral rites attended by the Duchess’s immediate family.
Kate, 43, remembered the Duchess, who became the oldest living member of the Royal Family when Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, alongside other members of the Royal Family today
The Princess of Wales put on a sombre display in black as she attended the Duchess of Kent’s funeral today
Following the announcement, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a loving tribute , saying that she would be ‘much missed’
It was led by a military piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment the Duchess supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief since its inception in 1992, for the first few minutes of the journey.
Other service personnel from the regiment formed the bearer party carrying the coffin into the cathedral where it rested overnight in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
One of the most glamorous royals of her generation, she was admired for her determination to forge her own path and life-long dedication to charity work.
The Duchess was also an elegant fixture at Wimbledon. She captured the hearts of the nation when she consoled Czech star Jana Novotna as she broke down in tears on Centre Court after losing to reigning champion Steffi Graf in 1993.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Duchess of Kent brought ‘compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did’, as he paid tribute following her death.
The duchess, who has been unwell for some time, died at Wren House, her marital home in Kensington Palace, surrounded by close family.
The duchess attended events marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and was present for the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 2011 wedding, and the Sussexes’ nuptials in 2018 where she wore comfortable white trainers paired with a floral Erdem maxi dress and walked arm in arm with a staff member from the royal household for support.
In recent years, her health grew increasingly poor and she did not attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral or the King’s coronation.
The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured arriving for the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent
The Prince and Princess showed their respects as they arrived for the Duchess’ funeral this afternoon
Kate and William made a sombre appearance as they arrived for the funeral in London this afternoon
The royals made an arrival at the Requiem Mass, to pay their respects to the Duchess of Kent, today
Pictured: Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, arriving at Westminster Cathedral
The Duchess’s life-long passion for music and making it accessible to all saw her co-found the Future Talent charity.
In a statement they said: ‘Everyone at Future Talent is deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of Katharine – our Co-Founder and the visionary behind our charity.’
Nicholas Robinson OBE, Co-Founder of Future Talent and a friend of the Duchess for more than two decades, told the Daily Mail today of her courage and compassion.
‘I’ve lost a very dear friend,’ he said.
‘She was once described as Katharine, the compassionate duchess. And that word, compassionate…it just sums her up.
‘She was such a kind, genuine and understanding person. It was all about other people. Genuinely selfless. She was also a shy person, so nothing she did was for glory. She was just so wonderful.’
Mr Robinson first met Katharine 21 years ago when he was headmaster of King’s College Choir School in Cambridge, which was attended by two of her grand-daughters, Lady Marina and Lady Amelia.
They started chatting about her passion for music and desire to help children, which resulted in them starting a charity together, Future Talent, which supports talented young musicians without access to the right support and mentoring.
He recalled: ‘She had the vision and the passion. She wanted to help young people and combat the lack of opportunity and financial and practical support, but she didn’t know how to go about it. So I promised I would help her.
‘She was such a hands-on founder and trustee, so hardworking. In those early years – and bear in mind she was 71 at the time – she was at our office in London three days a week, writing letters, ringing people, planning.
‘It was such a huge part of her life and at the time there weren’t many members of the Royal Family who had set up their own charity. But I could see her passion and enthusiasm and the way her eyes lit up when she talked about it.
‘She felt there should be no child in this country who had musical talent who couldn’t develop that talent because they didn’t have the right means, support and access. We help through mentoring, paying tuition bills, providing them with the right advice on teaching and musical instruments. It’s like joining a family, and that was driven by her. Children are there to be listened to, encouraged, supported and heard.’
Talking of her 13 years working anonymously in a Hull primary school, Mr Robinson recalled how she would travel up and down by train to Yorkshire every Friday to teach.
‘You could see the children’s eyes light up with her. They drank in her enthusiasm. They loved what she was doing with them. Pop songs…she loved all kinds of music,’ he recalled.
He believes while the duchess had an inner sense of empathy, she was also shaped by her personal tragedies, which led her withdrawing from official royal duties and converting to Catholicism.
‘Given her tragic experiences personally, it gave her a deeper empathy and understanding in being able to connect with people,’ he said.
‘She was a trailblazer in her way, but just doing it in the background so quietly and effortlessly. The famous story of how she comforted Navotna at Wimbledon, you got a glimpse there of the real person behind the scenes.
‘I think people will remember her with enormous affection and admiration, and love. The fact that we have this wonderful charity and all these remarkable musicians as a result of her vision means her legacy won’t be forgotten.
‘You must remember that the [late] Queen gave her permission to convert to become a Catholic [which was unusual]. I think she greatly admired her.’
The Duchess gave up full-time royal duties and her HRH title to pursue a life away from the spotlight in 2002.
She subsequently spent more than a decade anonymously teaching music in a Hull primary school, where she was simply known as Katharine, or plain ‘Mrs Kent’.
Married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, cousin to Queen Elizabeth, the couple have three children: George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.
The Duchess was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley in Yorkshire – a county she always retained a passionate association with – on February 22 1933.
Her adored father was Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet and Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire, while her mother, Joyce Morgan Brunner, was the daughter of Sir John Brunner – the founder of Brunner Mond, which was to become ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries).
She grew up at the ancestral family seat of Hovingham Hall in North Yorkshire, where her family has lived since the early 18th Century, and received no formal education until the age of 10.
She then went on to study at Queen Margaret’s School, York, and Runton Hill School in North Norfolk, where she developed a life-long passion for music, learning the piano, organ and violin. Her daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, has said her mother was a pianist of almost concert standard.
They married at York Minster on June 8 1961, the first royal wedding to be held there for 633 years, with the bride sporting the spectacular Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara.
The best man was Edward’s brother, Prince Michael of Kent, while Princess Anne was one of the bridesmaids.
