Pope Leo XIV paid a personal tribute to the duchess, who converted to Catholicism in 1994, praising her “legacy of Christian goodness” in a message delivered during the funeral.
The requiem mass was the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history.
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Buckingham Palace announced just hours before the ceremony and ahead of the arrival in the UK of US President Donald Trump on a state visit that the queen would not be attending.
“With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon’s Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
The queen, 78, is scheduled to accompany King Charles III for a busy programme of royal events during Trump’s state visit on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and his wife Catherine, also joined the mourners gathered at Westminster Cathedral.
And the king’s disgraced brother, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and his ex-wife Sarah, the Duchess of York, were also seen in attendance.
The Duchess of Kent, who died on September 5 at the age of 92, was known for her links to the Wimbledon tennis tournament and for anonymously teaching music at a primary school.
A talented pianist, organist and singer, she was born Katharine Worsley into an aristocratic family in Yorkshire, northern England.
She was married in 1961 to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who is a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II and remains, at 89, a working member of the royal family.
Camilla is reportedly hoping to recover sufficiently from her illness to attend all the elements of Trump’s state visit, according to the PA news agency.
She is due to receive the Trumps alongside the king at Windsor Castle on Wednesday around noon local time (1100 GMT).
AFP