Renewed attention has fallen on Lord Nicholas Windsor and his
wife, Paola, ahead of Tatler‘s special edition – due to be
published in early December – dedicated to the Duchess of Kent, who
died in September at the age of 92.
Lord Nicholas, 55, the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of
Kent and a godson of the King, attended his mother’s funeral at
Westminster Cathedral with their three sons, but Paola was not
present. The funeral was the first public Catholic requiem for a
senior member of the Royal Family in modern times.
Friends cited by Tatler and the Daily Mail have
confirmed that Lord Nicholas and Paola have been living separately
for some time. Those close to the couple suggest there is no
expectation of divorce, and that both are understood to hold
traditional views on marriage.
The couple met at a Millennium celebration in New York. They
became engaged in 2006 and were married in a civil ceremony in
London, followed by a religious wedding at the Church of St Stephen
of the Abyssinians in Vatican City. Their union marked the first
public Roman Catholic wedding of a member of the Royal Family in
centuries. Lord Nicholas had converted to Catholicism in 2001.
Together they have three sons – Albert, Leopold and Louis – all
raised in the Catholic faith. Albert’s baptism made quiet history,
becoming the first royal infant to be baptised a Catholic since
1688.
Lord Nicholas, who shared a close bond with his mother, attended
the Requiem Mass with his sons. The congregation included the
Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of
Gloucester, and other senior royals.
The Duchess of Kent, remembered for her humility, musical
dedication and understated approach to royal duty, had spent her
later years largely away from public attention, teaching music in
Hull. Her death on 4 September marked the end of an era for this
quietly devoted branch of the family.