Full list of royals attending vigil for Duchess of Kent ahead of historic funeral

Duke of Kent and immediate family members watch Duchess of Kent's coffin enter Westminster Cathedral |

GB NEWS

Dorothy Reddin

By Dorothy Reddin


Published: 15/09/2025

- 17:20

Updated: 15/09/2025

- 18:01

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent was joined by immediate family members for the service

Several members of the wider Royal Family attended a vigil for Katharine, Duchess of Kent, this evening.

The Duchess of Kent died peacefully at home on September 4 at the age of 92.


Prince Edward, Duke of Kent made his first public appearance since the death of his wife to attend tonight's vigil.

He was joined by close family members, including Timothy Taylor, the Countess of St Andrews, the Earl of St Andrews, and Lady Helen Taylor, as they accompanied the Duchess’s coffin from Kensington Palace to Westminster Cathedral on Monday evening, ahead of her funeral on Tuesday.

Lady Frederick Windsor

Full list of royals attending vigil for Duchess of Kent ahead of historic funeral - including Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor (pictured)

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PA

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Lady Helen Taylor

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent was joined by Lady Helen Taylor for the service

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PA

Prince Michael of Kent was among the first to arrive, using a walking stick for support. He is Prince Edward, Duke of Kent's younger brother, making him Katharine's brother-in-law.

Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor were also present; Lord Frederick is the only son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

His wife, actress Sophie Winkleman, wore a traditional mourning veil and pearl earrings.

Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, sister of the Duke of Kent and Prince Michael, arrived in a wheelchair, dressed in a black coat and a wide-brimmed hat.

Lady Amelia Windsor and her sister Lady Marina Windsor

Lady Amelia Windsor and her sister Lady Marina Windsor at the vigil for Katharine, Duchess of Kent

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REUTERS

Prince Michael of Kent

Prince Michael of Kent arriving for the Duchess of Kent's vigil

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PA

Also attending were model Lady Amelia Windsor, her sister Lady Marina Windsor, and Lord Frederick Windsor's sister, Lady Gabriella Kingston, whose husband, Thomas Kingston, tragically took his own life in 2024.

The Duchess’s coffin was led from the palace by a piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards, the regiment she had supported as Deputy Colonel-in-Chief since its creation in 1992.

Soldiers from the same regiment served as pallbearers, carrying the coffin into Westminster Cathedral, where it will remain overnight in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Inside, a private service took place, including the Rite of Reception, in which the coffin was sprinkled with holy water, and Vespers, the traditional evening prayers.

Katharine is survived by her husband of 64 years and their three children: Lady Helen Taylor, 61, George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, 63, and Lord Nicholas Windsor, 55.

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent stood beside other family members as his wife's coffin enters Westminster Cathedral

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PA

Kent family

The Kent family watched as Katharine's coffin entered the iconic Catholic cathedral

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Timothy Taylor, the Countess of St Andrews, the Earl of St Andrews, and Lady Helen Taylor

Timothy Taylor, the Countess of St Andrews, the Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and the Duke of Kent watching the Duchess of Kent's coffin enter the cathedral

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PA

She was also a grandmother to 10, among them Lady Amelia Windsor and Lady Marina Windsor.

In 2002, with the late Queen Elizabeth II’s blessing, the Duchess stepped back from royal duties to devote herself to teaching, spending 13 years at a primary school in Hull, where she was affectionately known as "Mrs Kent".

On Tuesday afternoon, King Charles and Queen Camilla will join the Duke of Kent and other family members for the Requiem Mass, which will be led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, alongside Bishop James Curry and the Dean of Windsor.

Following the service, the Duchess’s coffin will be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor, for interment.

The Requiem Mass will be a Catholic funeral — a significant moment in royal history, as it marks the first time in modern Britain that a member of the Royal Family has been honoured with such a ceremony, which the King, as head of the Church of England, will attend.