By Howard Lloyd

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The Prince and Princess of Wales will attend the Duchess of Kent’s Catholic funeral later today (Tuesday, September 16), Kensington Palace has confirmed. Katharine passed away earlier this month at the age of 92, and was married to the late Duke of Kent, a cousin of the Queen.

The requiem mass, a Catholic funeral, will be attended by the King, Queen, and other high-ranking royals, and will take place at Westminster Abbey. This marks the first time a Catholic funeral service has been held for a member of the Royal family in modern British history.

Her coffin was received in a solemn ceremony at Westminster Cathedral on Monday evening. Soldiers from The Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment she supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief, had the honour of carrying the coffin from the Royal hearse into the place of worship.

A devout follower of the Roman Catholic faith, the duchess became the first member of the Royal family to convert to Catholicism in over 300 years, doing so in 1994. It was her wish to have her funeral at Westminster Cathedral.

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

It was draped with the Royal standard which had a white ermine border signifying she was the spouse of a prince, and there was a large floral display on top of the standard.

Before the arrival of the coffin, the Duke of Kent’s siblings, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra, entered the cathedral to take their places ahead of a series of private funeral rites. These rites included a Vigil for the Deceased, Rite of Reception, which typically involves the coffin being sprinkled with holy water, and evening prayers known as Vespers, led by Bishop James Curry, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Titular Bishop of Ramsbury.