Royal family unites at Duchess of Kent’s Requiem as Queen Camilla withdraws

The royal family — with one senior exception — presented a united front Tuesday as they attended a Requiem Mass for Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at London’s Westminster Cathedral.

King Charles III, his elder son Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, joined members of the extended family at the Catholic service for the 92-year-old duchess, who died earlier this month. The duchess, the oldest member of the royal family at the time of her death, was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, 89.

Buckingham Palace said Queen Camilla had withdrawn from attendance "with great regret" as she is "recovering from acute sinusitis." The palace statement said the queen's "thoughts and prayers will be with the Duke of Kent and all the family." She had been expected to attend the afternoon service.

The Mass at Westminster Cathedral marked the first Catholic funeral for a member of the British royal family in modern times, BBC News reported, and a message from Pope Leo XIV was read during the service. Following the ceremony, the duchess’s coffin was to be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore. It had rested overnight in the Lady Chapel after a rite of reception and vespers on Monday.

Among those who attended were Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, who were seen paying their respects. Prince Edward, the duke of Kent, sat near other close family members. The Princess of Wales wore an all-black outfit and a pearl necklace.

Union flags were flown at half-mast at official royal residences on Tuesday. The funeral comes amid heightened public and media attention on the royal household after a number of high-profile family interactions in recent weeks.

Last week the duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, traveled to the United Kingdom. Reports in British media said Harry visited his grandmother’s gravesite, attended charity events and met his father, King Charles III, for a private meeting at Clarence House. Tabloid reports said the meeting — described as a short private tea — followed a handwritten letter Harry reportedly sent earlier in the year expressing a desire to reconnect.

Harry told reporters after the visit that the king was "great" following his public cancer announcement earlier this year. He also told the Guardian that he "would" like to spend more time in England and bring his children, saying, "This week has definitely brought that closer."

Katharine, Duchess of Kent, had been a long-serving member of the royal family and was noted for her charitable work and faith. Her funeral arrangements followed traditional rites for a Catholic service and included reception, vespers and a Requiem Mass.

Buckingham Palace did not provide further details about the queen’s illness beyond the statement that she was recovering from acute sinusitis. Palace and family officials have not confirmed wider changes to the royal calendar in connection with the event.

The service and the attendance of senior and extended royals reflected both the family’s public ceremonial role and private mourning for a long-standing family member. The duchess’s burial at Frogmore continues a long tradition of royal interments at the site on the Windsor estate.