Lady Helen Taylor Supports Father at Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral

Lady Helen Taylor, the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, was seen arm-in-arm with her 89-year-old father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, as she attended the requiem mass for her mother, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday.

The Catholic service, at which Lady Helen, 61, delivered the second reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, brought together senior members of the royal family and other mourners following the duchess's death on Sept. 4 at Kensington Palace. King Charles III, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and other relatives were among those who attended the ceremony.

Helen was dressed in black and accompanied her father, who was using a walking stick, during the procession. Her brothers, George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, 63, and Lord Nicholas Windsor, 55, also supported their father. George delivered the first reading, and the Prayer of the Faithful was read by Helen's eldest daughter, Eloise Taylor, 22, alongside cousins Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor, 32, and Albert Windsor, 17.

The requiem mass at Westminster Cathedral was the first Catholic funeral for a member of the British monarchy in modern history, marking a notable moment in royal ceremonial practice. A piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards played the lament "Sleep, Dearie, Sleep" during the procession; the same tune was used at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022. Katharine's coffin had been taken from Kensington Palace to the cathedral in a royal hearse led initially by a military piper and carried into the cathedral by members of the regiment the duchess supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief.

Following the service, the coffin was to be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore on the Windsor estate for a private burial ceremony. Flags at official royal residences were flown at half-mast.

The duchess, who was 92 at the time of her death, had converted to Catholicism and sought permission from the late queen to do so. She stepped back from full-time royal duties after personal tragedies and devoted much of her later life to music education and charity work, including founding Future Talent to support musically gifted young people. In recent years, declining health saw her absent from national events such as the late queen's funeral and the coronation of King Charles.

Members of the extended royal family and public figures were present at the cathedral. Prince Andrew arrived with his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, and other attendees included Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Sir Jackie Stewart, actresses Rula Lenska and Dame Maureen Lipman, and members of the Duke of Kent's family including Princess Alexandra and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

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." Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to the duchess, saying she brought "compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did."

Katharine and the Duke of Kent had three children: Lady Helen Taylor, George, Earl of St Andrews, and Lord Nicholas Windsor. Lady Helen, who has worked for Christie’s and as a brand ambassador and is a patron of several charities including the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, has been married to art dealer Timothy Taylor since 1992; the couple have four children. The duchess was the oldest living member of the royal family after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

The choice of Westminster Cathedral, constructed in 1903 and the senior Roman Catholic church in England and Wales, for the duchess's funeral emphasised both her faith and the family’s longstanding ties to public life and charitable causes. The service combined Catholic liturgy with elements of royal ceremonial, reflecting Katharine's personal commitments and her standing within the royal family.