Royal News and Views

Royal News and Views
[ Royal News and Views ]

Duchess of Kent's coffin leaves Kensington Palace ahead of funeral at Westminster Cathedral

Posted by Karen on September 15, 2025, 12:38 pm

The funeral will take place tomorrow.

https://www.gbnews.com/royal/katharine-duchess-kent-coffin-westminster-cathedral?fbclid=IwY2xjawM1H4FleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHrdLPHek9rs2EjX5bdQZehNEjuv38fvzX1w7upnplvXlT5Os64K__T0n1Pcj_aem_NTOx0-TcOwpcWYtvSR4nyw

Duchess of Kent's coffin taken to Westminster Cathedral

Posted by Nellie on September 16, 2025, 6:41 am, in reply to "Duchess of Kent's coffin leaves Kensington Palace ahead of funeral at Westminster Cathedral"

Getty images

https://www.gettyimages.com.au/editorial-images/news/event/the-duchess-of-kents-coffin-is-taken-to-westminster-cathedral/776384496?editorialproducts=all

The Queen has pulled out of attending the funeral of the Duchess of Kent

Posted by Karen on September 16, 2025, 8:09 am, in reply to "Duchess of Kent's coffin leaves Kensington Palace ahead of funeral at Westminster Cathedral"

Buckingham Palace stated that she is recovering from acute sinusitis.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpq5eynnn8ro

Re: The Queen has pulled out of attending the funeral of the Duchess of Kent

Posted by Susan T on September 16, 2025, 9:37 am, in reply to "The Queen has pulled out of attending the funeral of the Duchess of Kent"

n/t

Link: Daily Mail

Video: Duchess of Kent's Funeral

Posted by Karen on September 16, 2025, 11:27 am, in reply to "Duchess of Kent's coffin leaves Kensington Palace ahead of funeral at Westminster Cathedral"

The service itself was private. No camera's inside the Cathedral, so there is a long spell in the video of the camera's looking at a pair of closed doors. You do see the arrival of the congregation. The King, Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family were present. Near the end you see the departure of the coffin and the Duchess's family.

Getty Images

Posted by Karen on September 16, 2025, 11:37 am, in reply to "Video: Duchess of Kent's Funeral"

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/search/2/image?events=776384495&family=editorial&phrase=funeral%20of%20duchess%20of%20kent&sort=best&phraseprocessing=excludenaturallanguage

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Arlene on September 16, 2025, 2:34 pm, in reply to "Getty Images"

This is probably not the place to say this, but I wish The Princess of Wales would cut 5-7 inches off her hair.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Hollie24 on September 16, 2025, 3:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

I thought she looked a little unwell. She always looks tired these days, too.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Cynthia on September 16, 2025, 4:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

I gave up on the Getty pictures. More than half were of the Waleses.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Candace on September 16, 2025, 6:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

I said that two weeks ago or thereabout when her new hair color was revealed. I don't mind the hair color but I think, and it's just my opinion, that her hair would look soooooo much better just a bit shorter.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by JohnAF on September 16, 2025, 6:58 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

Missing, at least from the Getty photographs:
Timothy Taylor, Princess Alexandra, York princesses, Duke of Edinburgh & children, Princess Royal's children. One niggle - whoever wrote the commentary which accompanied the photographs kept refering to Eloise & Estelle Taylor as Lady Eloise etc, they're not (as far as I'm aware)

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Candace on September 16, 2025, 7:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

The Duke of Edinburgh is out of the country

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Karen on September 16, 2025, 7:11 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

Missing, at least from the Getty photographs: Timothy Taylor, Princess Alexandra, York princesses, Duke of Edinburgh & children, Princess Royal's children.

I'm not sure where Timothy Taylor was there or not. Princess Alexandra was there, as was Prince Michael of Kent. Both were in wheelchairs, sadly, and were transported down a ramp on the right side of the family group. In the video I saw Lord Frederick pushing his father in the wheelchair with his wife beside him. Duke of Edinburgh is currently on a visit to Papua New Guinea representing the King as they celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Papue New Guinea's Independence. The Duchess of Edinburgh was at the funeral representing her family. Lady Louise is back at St Andrew's University after the Summer Holidays and most like the Earl of Wessex (their son) is back at school. Both the Princess Royal's children have their own families and lives and perhaps had other commitments today.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Hollie24 on September 16, 2025, 7:13 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

Timothy Taylor was there.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Susan T on September 16, 2025, 7:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

With the absence of the York princesses, Anne's children, and Edward's children, I'm going hazard a guess that they weren't invited (they are all grandchildren of the late Queen, who was a first cousin of the Duke of Kent. William did receive an invitation because he's the heir to the throne.)

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Cynthia on September 16, 2025, 8:04 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

Well, Lord Snowdon was there, as were his daughter, his sister, his b-i-l, nephew... Quite a range of cousins.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Hollie24 on September 16, 2025, 8:36 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

David and Sarah grew up with the Duchess of Kent's children and remain close to them.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Susan T on September 16, 2025, 11:06 pm, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

David and Sarah are as closely related as Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.

Through it is interesting that Sarah and David's children were invited.

The Windsors have always marched to their own drum when it comes to guest lists and seating arrangements, so trying to figure out what the criteria was is probably an exercise in futility.

We did get to see a lot of people we don't see very often, which was nice.

What wasn't nice was the usual "Andrew and Sarah are back in the fold" and I imagine somewhere a reporter is regurgitating their usual "Andrew should not have been there" article.

Re: Getty Images

Posted by Hollie24 on September 17, 2025, 12:01 am, in reply to "Re: Getty Images"

Yes, but I was talking about close as in good friends. Anne and Charles did not grow up with the Kent children as they were much older. Andrew and Edward did, however, grow up with them and with Sarah and David (and James and Marina, Alexandra's children). They all spent Christmas and summer holidays together and they mostly ran in the same circles as teens and young adults. They all married within a few years of each other and their children are also pretty close in age. Charles and Anne's children are much older than the Kent grands, too.

I think Anne was included as she was a junior bridesmaid at the Duke and Duchess's wedding. Edward was out of the country, Louise was at uni, and it may have been decided it was better for James to stay in school. Lady Sarah's sons grew up with Helen and George's children and the Gloucesters, along with Freddie and Ella, grew up with Nicholas and so that may have been why they were invited.

The Duchess's nieces and nephews were all there, too (I think), along with their children. She was close to her brothers and their families.

Re: Video: Duchess of Kent's Funeral

Posted by Hollie24 on September 16, 2025, 1:44 pm, in reply to "Video: Duchess of Kent's Funeral"

The elder Kent siblings have always had a close bond and it showed today. Katharine was truly beloved by the whole extended family. William reached out at one point to comfort Frederick and Ella as they were leaving the service and I liked how the Duke of Kent's family surrounded him and his grandsons helped him with the stairs.

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