British royal family holds first Catholic funeral in centuries for Duchess of Kent

Tessa Gervasini By Tessa Gervasini for CNA

September 16, 2025 Catholic News Agency News Briefs 0 Print

 

Pallbearers from The Royal Dragoon Guards carry Katharine, Duchess of Kent’s coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, into Westminster Cathedral for a Vigil for the Deceased with Rite of Reception and Vespers for the Dead ahead of her funeral on Sept. 15, 2025, in London. / Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 16, 2025 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

The British Royal family held its first Catholic funeral in modern history on Tuesday for the duchess of Kent, the first senior British royal to be received into the Church since the 17th century.

The duchess died on Sept. 4 at the age of 92 and asked that her funeral be held at Westminster Cathedral in London. She was raised Anglican but joined the Catholic Church in 1994. She described her conversion as a “long-pondered personal decision” but said she was attracted to the solace and clarity of the faith.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent holds a koala during a 1988 visit to Brisbane, Australia. Credit: Queensland State Archives, CC BY 3.0 AU, via Wikimedia Commons
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent holds a koala during a 1988 visit to Brisbane, Australia. Credit: Queensland State Archives, CC BY 3.0 AU, via Wikimedia Commons

Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, the duchess married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Her family said she should be remembered for her “lifelong devotion to all the organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music, and her empathy for young people.”

On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds gathered to honor the duchess’ life at the cathedral alongside the duke and their three children. King Charles III, Prince William, and Princess Kate Middleton were all in attendance; Queen Camilla was not present reportedly due to illness.

King Charles’ presence marked the first time a reigning British monarch has attended a Catholic funeral in a formal capacity on U.K. grounds since the Reformation.

Britain’s King Charles III stands with Britain’s Princess Michael of Kent (left); Britain’s Prince Michael of Kent (second left); Britain’s Lord Frederick Windsor; Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales; Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales; Britain’s Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh; and Britain’s Princess Anne, Princess Royal, following a Requiem Mass for the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral in London on Sept. 16, 2025. Credit: JORDAN PETTITT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Britain’s King Charles III stands with Britain’s Princess Michael of Kent (left); Britain’s Prince Michael of Kent (second left); Britain’s Lord Frederick Windsor; Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales; Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales; Britain’s Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh; and Britain’s Princess Anne, Princess Royal, following a Requiem Mass for the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral in London on Sept. 16, 2025. Credit: JORDAN PETTITT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The Requiem Mass was celebrated by the archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols. The dean of Windsor joined the cathedral clergy during the Mass and presided over the burial of the duchess with the auxiliary bishop of Westminster.

In a Sept. 16 telegram to King Charles, Pope Leo XIV said he “was saddened to learn of the death of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent.” The message was read by Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, apostolic nuncio to Great Britain, at the funeral Mass.

“I send heartfelt condolences, together with the assurance of my prayerful closeness, to your majesty, the members of the royal family, and especially to her husband, the Duke of Kent, and their children and grandchildren at this time of sorrow,” Pope Leo wrote.

“Entrusting her noble soul to the mercy of our heavenly Father, I readily associate myself with all those offering thanksgiving to almighty God for the duchess’ legacy of Christian goodness, seen in her many years of dedication to official duties, patronage of charities, and devoted care for vulnerable people in society.”

“To all who mourn her loss, in the sure hope of the Resurrection, I willingly impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the risen Lord,” the pope said.

If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

About Catholic News Agency 15287 Articles
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

Related Articles

No Picture
News Briefs

US bishops disappointed by Supreme Court decision upholding travel ban

June 27, 2018 CNA Daily News 2

Washington D.C., Jun 27, 2018 / 11:51 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has expressed disappointment with a Supreme Court ruling upholding President Donald Trump’s travel ban, which prohibits nationals from several countries from entering the U.S.

“The travel ban targets Muslims for exclusion, which goes against our country’s core principle of neutrality when it comes to people of faith,” said the statement, issued by Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ migration committee, and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, who chairs the religious freedom committee.

“We are disappointed in the Court’s ruling because it failed to take into account the clear and unlawful targeting of a specific religious group by the government,” continued the statement.

“The Catholic Church takes a strong stand against religious discrimination, and we will continue to advocate for the rights of people of all faiths, as well as serve migrants and refugees through our various ministries.”

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion in Trump v. Hawaii, which fell along ideological lines.

The Court found that President Donald Trump was acting within the limits of his authority when he announced a travel ban on nationals from seven countries. The policy prohibits entry into the U.S. of most nationals from five majority-Muslim countries: Libya, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Somalia.

A change to the policy, enacted a few weeks before the Supreme Court was to hear the challenge to the ban, also prohibits entrance of nationals from North Korea, and to certain government officials from Venezuela and their immediate families.

The U.S. bishops’ conference, along with Catholic Charities USA and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in opposition to the travel ban. The groups argued that the ban was a violation of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.

Trump, however, has emphasized the decision as necessary to protect Americans against terrorism and other violence.

A statement from the White House June 26 called the ruling “a tremendous victory for the American People and the Constitution.”

[…]

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*