LONDON, United Kingdom | The British monarchy is preparing for a funeral without precedent in modern times. Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who died on September 4 at Kensington Palace aged 92, will be honored with a Catholic Requiem Mass on September 16—marking the first Catholic royal funeral in the United Kingdom in over 400 years.
Katharine Worsley married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, in 1961 at York Minster. She later set aside the “Her Royal Highness” style, choosing instead to be known simply as Mrs. Kent, while dedicating more than a decade to teaching music in a primary school.
Her decision to convert to Roman Catholicism in 1994 broke centuries of tradition, making her the first senior royal to embrace the faith since the 17th century. That personal choice will now be reflected in her farewell, with Buckingham Palace confirming arrangements that diverge sharply from Anglican protocol.
The Duchess’s coffin will rest in the private chapel at Kensington Palace before being taken to Westminster Cathedral on September 15, where the Rite of Reception and Vespers will be observed. A vigil will follow overnight. The Requiem Mass, led by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, will take place the next afternoon with King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and senior royals in attendance. Unlike most royal funerals, the ceremony will remain private and untelevised. She will be interred at the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore, Windsor.
