Lady Helen Taylor Walks Arm-in-Arm with Duke of Kent at Duchess's Requiem Mass

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

Katharine, 92, died on Sept. 4 at Kensington Palace. The funeral, a Catholic service held at 2 p.m., was attended by senior royals including King Charles III, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and members of the wider royal family, as well as public figures and friends. Lady Helen, 61, delivered the second reading, a passage from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians.

The requiem marked a number of firsts for contemporary royal ceremonial life: it was the first Catholic funeral for a member of the monarchy in modern British history and the first royal funeral held at Westminster Cathedral since the building opened in 1903. A piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards performed the lament "Sleep, Dearie, Sleep" during the procession; the same tune was used at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.

The coffin was removed from Kensington Palace on Monday evening and transported in a royal hearse designed by the late Queen Elizabeth II to the cathedral for a private vigil with immediate family. The hearse was led, initially, by a military piper from the regiment the Duchess supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief since 1992; personnel from the regiment formed the bearer party that carried the coffin into the cathedral.

Among those on the cathedral bench were the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Sir Jackie Stewart and actors Rula Lenska and Dame Maureen Lipman. Prince Andrew, who stepped back from royal duties in 2019, attended and arrived with his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York. The King arrived with his principal private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton.

Lady Helen was accompanied during the service by her brothers, George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, 63, who gave the first reading, and Lord Nicholas Windsor, 55. 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.

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

Katharine, who married Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, was known for her work in music education and charity. She sought royal permission to convert to Catholicism, stepped back from full-time royal duties after personal family tragedies, and later worked as a music teacher. She founded the charity Future Talent to support young musicians and served as patron of other causes, including the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Lady Helen Taylor has worked at the auction house Christie’s and served as a brand ambassador for fashion houses including Giorgio Armani and Bulgari. She is married to Timothy Taylor, an art dealer, and is mother to four children, including Columbus Taylor, 31, and Eloise, 22. Her brothers’ children attended the vigil and funeral, and several grandchildren posted tributes on social media following the duchess’s death.

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, saying the duchess brought "compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did."

The Duke of Kent, who is now the oldest living member of the royal family, attended the service using a walking stick. His sister, Princess Alexandra, 88, arrived by taxi and was assisted into the cathedral in a wheelchair. The funeral marked a private and public farewell to a member of the royal household whose life combined public service, patronage of the arts, and a longstanding interest in music and charitable work.