Duchess of Kent’s coffin arrives at Westminster Cathedral on eve of funeral

The coffin of the Duchess of Kent was received during a solemn ceremony at Westminster Cathedral on the eve of her funeral service.

Soldiers from The Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment she supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief, were given the duty of carrying the coffin from the royal hearse into the place of worship.

Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on the evening of September 4 aged 92.

A devout follower of the Roman Catholic faith, the duchess became the first member of the royal family to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years, doing so in 1994, and it was her wish to have her funeral at Westminster Cathedral.

Immediate family, including her widower, the Duke of Kent and their daughter Lady Helen Taylor, had been welcomed by the Dean of Westminster Cathedral Father Slawomir Witon and watched from the cathedral steps as the soldiers slowly carried the coffin.

The coffin was a wicker construction made from English willow and was draped with the royal standard which had a white ermine border signifying she was the spouse of a prince.

A large wreath of British garden flowers chosen by the duchess’s family was placed on top of the coffin and included white roses, the symbol of Yorkshire, the county where she was born.

The floral tribute featured sprays of rosemary for remembrance, oak leaves for strength, seasonal September flowers symbolising farewell, achillea representing healing and strength, jasmine for amiability and sprigs of yew from the gardens of Hovingham Hall, the duchess’s childhood home, representing eternal life.

Before the coffin’s arrival the Duke of Kent’s siblings Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra entered the cathedral to take their place before a series of private funeral rites.

It had set off on its journey from Kensington Palace with a piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards walking ahead of the cortege for the first few minutes.

The funeral rites included a Vigil for the Deceased, Rite of Reception, which usually involves the coffin being sprinkled with holy water, and evening prayers known as Vespers taken by Bishop James Curry, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Titular Bishop of Ramsbury.

At the conclusion the Cross and a Book of The Gospels was placed on the coffin inside the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The requiem mass, a Catholic funeral, will be held on Tuesday attended by the King, Queen and other senior royals and will be the first Catholic funeral service held for a member of the royal family in modern British history.

During the mass, a piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards will play a Lament – Sleep, Dearie, Sleep – while processing from the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, past the coffin in the Nave and down the cathedral’s central aisle.

The same Lament was played during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.

The choir and organist of Westminster Cathedral will provide choral music, composed by Maurice Durufle, during the Requiem Mass.

And the music will include Mozart’s Ave verum corpus, selected by the duchess as her favourite piece when she appeared on Desert Island Discs in December 1990.