Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Attends Duchess of Kent’s Funeral Alone as Prince Edward Represents King Abroad

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, attended the requiem mass for Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday without her husband, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, who is representing King Charles on an official visit to Papua New Guinea.

The service was attended by senior members of the royal family including King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York and Princess Anne. Queen Camilla withdrew from the service on medical grounds, a palace spokesperson said, explaining she was recovering from acute sinusitis and that her thoughts were with the Duke of Kent and his family.

Sophie, 60, wore traditional black mourning attire and arrived at the cathedral independently, stepping from a car at the cathedral’s main entrance. Her husband, 61, arrived in Papua New Guinea on Sunday to take part in events marking the country’s 50th anniversary of independence from Australia and is expected to remain there until Sept. 17, officials said. The Duke’s commitment meant he would also miss the opening of a two-day state visit to the United States later this month.

The Duchess of Kent, Katharine, died on Sept. 4 at the age of 92. Her coffin was brought from Kensington Palace to Westminster Cathedral in a royal hearse designed by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Service personnel from the Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment Katharine supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief since 1992, led the initial part of the procession and formed the bearer party that carried the coffin into the cathedral.

Members of the Duchess’s family attended a vigil the day before the requiem mass, and several grandchildren were present at Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday. Lady Amelia Windsor and Lady Marina Windsor were among those observed in black as they paid their respects. The immediate family also took part in private Catholic rites at the cathedral prior to the public service.

Katharine’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral marks the first Catholic funeral for a senior royal in modern British history. She converted to Roman Catholicism in 1994, a move that required royal permission and came more than three centuries after King James II, the last Catholic monarch, was deposed in 1688. The Act of Settlement 1701 bars Catholics from succeeding to the British throne, a constitutional detail frequently noted in accounts of royal religion and succession.

Tributes have been paid by members of the royal family and public figures. The Prince and Princess of Wales said the duchess would be "much missed" and praised her work for others. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described her as bringing "compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did." The duchess was widely admired for her public service and charitable work.

Katharine stepped back from full-time royal duties in 2002 after personal tragedies and later worked as a music teacher. She founded the charity Future Talent to support young musicians and maintained a longstanding interest in music and education. Her choice to be buried in a Catholic ceremony reflected her personal faith and long-standing commitments.

Sophie was travelling in Canada on a scheduled engagement when news of Katharine’s death was announced. She had arrived in the country the night before and carried out a pre-arranged engagement near Calgary, wearing sombre attire. Members of the royal family commonly travel with appropriate mourning clothes, a practice that dates back to protocols observed during previous royal deaths.

The Duke of Kent, Katharine’s husband, is now the oldest living member of the extended royal family. The funeral at Westminster Cathedral follows a series of private and public commemorations for the duchess, who was remembered for her charity work, devotion to music education and a long history of royal service and patronages.