This year, the Royal Family said goodbye to one of its most
loved members and as they prepared for a final farewell, they chose
a beautiful photo to remember a much loved relation and friend.
The Duchess of Kent died on September 4 2025 at the age of 92.
On the morning of her funeral, September 16 2025, the Royal Family
shared a radiant image of her as a bride. The striking portrait
showed her emerging from York Minister on the arm of her new
husband, Edward, The Duke of Kent, following their royal
wedding.
It was a poignant tribute to a duchess who had been at the heart
of the Royal Family for over six decades. Katharine, The Duchess of
Kent, was known for her charity work, her love of music and her
support of young people who she taught to sing and play
instruments. She was a working royal for decades before stepping
aside for a more private life where she worked as a music teacher
under the name Katharine Kent. However, on the saddest of days, the
Royal Family recalled her as a beautiful bride who had captured
headlines around the world when she married the cousin of Queen
Elizabeth II.
In a heartfelt obituary to the duchess, Buckingham Palace wrote
that ”proudly of Yorkshire heritage, Her Royal Highness became a
working Member of The Royal Family following her marriage….for the
last three decades of her life, The Duchess focused on her passion
for music, stepping aside as a working Member of The Royal Family
in 2002 to focus on her private and charitable work in this
sector.”
The funeral of the Duchess of Kent took place just hours after
the photo was shared. It was held at Westminster Cathedral with
King
Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales in attendance
alongside HRH’s immediate family. It was the first public Catholic
funeral for a member of the Royal Family in centuries. The Duchess
of Kent converted to Catholicism in the 1990s after consultation
with Queen Elizabeth II.
On the eve of the funeral service, the Duke of Kent bowed his
head as his wife’s coffin was carried past him into the Cathedral.
He lent on his sons, George and Nicholas, and daughter, Helen,
while his grandchildren watched sadly.
The Duke of Kent and his family were also supported by his
sister, Princess Alexandra, and his brother, Prince Michael of
Kent, along with their families.
A private Rite of Reception and Vespers service was held and the
coffin of the Duchess rested in the Cathedral on the night before
her funeral.
Following the funeral service, a private burial was held at
Frogmore.