King joins members of royal family for Catholic funeral of Duchess of Kent

The King has joined members of the royal family for the Catholic funeral of the Duchess of Kent.

Mourners have filled Westminster Cathedral for the requiem mass, a Catholic funeral, the first to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history.

The disgraced Duke of York made a rare appearance outside the environs of Windsor, with his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York.

His public career was effectively ended by his friendship with American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as was the post of former UK ambassador to the US Lord Peter Mandelson.

Among those attending the funeral were the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the close family of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

Former Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart and actresses Rula Lenska and Dame Maureen Lipman were also among the mourners at the cathedral for the funeral, conducted by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, leader of the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales.

But the Queen pulled out of attending the requiem mass as she is recovering from acute sinusitis.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon’s requiem mass for the Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis.

“Her thoughts and prayers will be with the Duke of Kent and all the family.”

The announcement raises questions over Camilla’s attendance at US President Donald Trump’s high-stakes and busy state visit, which begins in full at Windsor on Wednesday and is being hosted by the King.

The Queen is, however, hopeful that she will have recovered sufficiently to be able to attend all royal elements of the trip as planned, with highlights including a lavish state banquet.

During the requiem mass a message from Pope Leo XIV will be read by Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, the apostolic nuncio or diplomatic representative in the UK of the Holy See, the government of the Roman Catholic Church.