By Jennifer Newton,Kirsten McStay

Copyright dailyrecord

The Prince and Princess of Wales will attend the funeral of the Duchess of Kent later today, it has been confirmed. Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her loved ones, on the evening of September 4, aged 92. Her Catholic funeral – a requiem mass – marks the first to be held for a member of the monarchy in modern British history and will take place at Westminster Cathedral this afternoon. The King and Queen will be present and now Kensington Palace has revealed that William and Kate will also be amongst the mourners. When the duchess passed away earlier this month, William and Kate paid tribute to her in a touching message saying: ” Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas.”, reports the Mirror . “The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music. She will be a much missed member of the family. W and C.” Last night the Duchess’ coffin was transported from her Kensington Palace residence to Westminster Cathedral where it has been resting overnight in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Close family, including her widower, the Duke of Kent, and their daughter Lady Helen Taylor, had been greeted by the Dean of Westminster Cathedral Father Slawomir Witon and observed from the cathedral steps as soldiers from the Royal Dragoon Guards carefully carried the coffin. Today’s funeral service will include a Scottish bagpipe lament that was also played at the late Queen’s funeral nearly three years ago. A piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards will perform the lament – Sleep, Dearie, Sleep – while processing from the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, past the duchess’s coffin in the Nave and down the cathedral’s central aisle. The same tune concluded the late Queen’s funeral service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The duchess’ coffin is a wicker structure crafted from English willow and is covered with the Royal standard featuring a white ermine border, signifying her status as a prince’s spouse. Atop the coffin rests a large wreath of British garden flowers, handpicked by the duchess’s family. It includes white roses, symbolising Yorkshire where she was born, and sprigs of yew from the gardens of Hovingham Hall, her childhood home, representing eternal life. Soldiers from The Royal Dragoon Guards have played a significant role during her funeral, which traditionally spans over two days. A piper led the funeral procession and other soldiers carried the coffin into the cathedral when it arrived yesterday. The King will not be the first monarch to attend a Catholic funeral. The late Queen Elizabeth attended the Catholic state funeral of King Baudouin of the Belgians at St Michael’s Cathedral in Brussels, in August 1993. Charles, whilst Prince of Wales, attended Pope John Paul II’s funeral on behalf of his mother the late Queen in 2005, whilst his son William was present at Pope Francis’ funeral mass earlier this year. The Duchess, born Katharine Worsley, became most recognised for presenting the awards at Wimbledon and famously consoled a tearful Jana Novotna following her defeat in the 1993 ladies’ singles final to Steffi Graf. In 2002, she withdrew from royal responsibilities, relinquishing her HRH title and dedicating her time as a discreet music instructor at a state school in Hull, where she was simply addressed as Mrs Kent. She was born in Yorkshire in 1933 and was raised at Hovingham Hall near York. In 1956, she initially encountered the Duke of Kent, who was then serving with the Royal Scots Greys and based at Catterick Garrison in Yorkshire, and love gradually developed. Five years following their initial encounter, the pair revealed their engagement, and they wed in the wedding of the year in June 1961 at York Minster. The location marked a departure from tradition away from Westminster Abbey, but Katharine was eager to marry there, calling herself a “Yorkshire lass”. The stylish Kents immersed themselves in public duties, representing the late Queen both domestically and internationally and welcomed three children – George, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor. In the 1970s, the duchess experienced two heart-wrenching losses. In 1975, she was forced to terminate a pregnancy after contracting rubella, a disease known to cause severe harm to unborn babies. Tragically, just two years later, she gave birth to a stillborn son named Patrick. Her public appearances have been sparse in recent years, although she did attend the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. The last time she was seen in public was in October of last year, at an event celebrating her husband’s 89th birthday. The celebration took place outside their Kensington Palace residence, Wren House, where he was treated to a rendition of Happy Birthday played on the bagpipes. Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.