Death and Funeral of The Duchess of Kent: 4 and 16 September 2025

[principessa]

The British Royal Family has just announced the death of HRH The Duchess of Kent. She died last night.

https://www.facebook.com/TheBritishMonarchy/posts/pfbid02osD7fXyowRMvPsSKM5ErZCippSFmpS9uL4WdEqbktgqfJhdRRm7mjHpbFCW8F4jWl

 

[Blog Real]

What sad news.

 

[Adda]

Rest in Peace, sweet Katharine.

This was her favourite song, so here's a little homage

 

[helenw]

Rest in peace, such a special lady.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

What an incredible 92 year long life that has left us… I remember her so well… She was among the hardest working royals for a whole lot of years, and has done so much for so many organisations, charities, military affiliations, and many many people…

Rest now dear Katharine At home now with God who was such an important part of your life.

Thank you for everything.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Oh how terribly sad on the news on the death of the Duchess of Kent.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, dies aged 92
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Has Died

Rest in Peace!

 

[Saragli]

My Duchess. Even at 92 I'm still sad to hear the news. May she rest in peace.

 

[Elektra]

May she rest in peace. Condolences to her family

Announcement of the death of The Duchess of Kent

It is with deep sorrow that Buckingham Palace announces the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.

Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family.

 

[Snowangel]

Sad news! Rest in peace dear Duchess

 

[AC21091968]

Devastating news. May she rest in peace. Will always remember The Duchess teaching primary school children music in Yorkshire
When the Duchess of Kent went undercover as a primary school music teacher for 13 years

 

[Adda]

Statement from the Archbishop of York

https://twitter.com/x/status/1963926610664431802

 

[Alison H]

I'm sorry to hear that. She seemed like such a lovely person. I'll never forget her hugging the late Jana Novotna after that Wimbledon final.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The Duchess's funeral will be the First Roman Catholic Royal Funeral to be held in the UK in hundreds of years?

I can't think of any other RC British Royal.

 

[Asteria12]

Vale Katherine

 

[stellam]

She was a graceful, ethereal lady. Rest in Peace.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

The Duchess's funeral will be the First Roman Catholic Royal Funeral to be held in the UK in hundreds of years?

I can't think of any other RC British Royal.

Since the days of King Henry VIII / Queen Mary I it must be very rare with british catholic royals…

With the death of the Duchess of Kent i suppose Princess Michael of Kent can now be considered as the most senior british catholic royal ? At least the only one with an H.R.H title

 

[kbk]

Hans-Rickard, the Dukes of Norfolk, as the most senior peers in the realm, historically and significantly strongly adherent to the old faith, have traditionally been regarded as the lay leaders of Catholics in England. For example, it was the 17th Duke of Norfolk who represented the Queen on the installation and funeral of John Paul I and installation of John Paul II. He also officially welcomed John Paul II at his arrival to the UK in 1982, obviously, in the name of the Queen. Of course, Katherine and Marie-Christine, as wives of royal princes, outranked them formally, but still the traditional per-eminence among the English Catholics belongs to the Dukes of Norfolk.

 

[Alison H]

Catherine of Braganza died in Portugal. Henrietta Maria died in France. The members of the Jacobite branch of the Stuarts obviously also died abroad. Charles II, despite converting to Catholicism on his deathbed, was buried at Westminster Abbey ... but it was a very quick and quiet funeral, so we don't really know what sort of service took place. Anne of Denmark may or may not have converted, but certainly didn't have a Catholic funeral. So probably back to Tudor times for a royal Catholic funeral in this country.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Catherine of Braganza died in Portugal. Henrietta Maria died in France. The members of the Jacobite branch of the Stuarts obviously also died abroad. Charles II, despite converting to Catholicism on his deathbed, was buried at Westminster Abbey ... but it was a very quick and quiet funeral, so we don't really know what sort of service took place. Anne of Denmark may or may not have converted, but certainly didn't have a Catholic funeral. So probably back to Tudor times for a royal Catholic funeral in this country.

Possibly Queen Mary I or her cousin the Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox?

 

[Stefan]

The Duchess's funeral will be the First Roman Catholic Royal Funeral to be held in the UK in hundreds of years?

I can't think of any other RC British Royal.

Wonder of it will be St Georgs Chapel or at a catholic Church perhaps in London

 

[Stefan]

Sad News. But not unexpected

 

[suztav]

May her soul rest in peace. An elegant woman!

 

[kbk]

Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Edinburgh (1884-1966), Duchess of Galliera and Infanta of Spain as the wife of Alfonso de Orléans, a male-line granddaughter of Queen Victoria and thus a British princess by birth, was the last Catholic member of the royal family to die until yesterday. She was also, I believe, the only British dynast* by birth to convert to Catholicism since the Stuarts. She died and was buried in Spain.

*She and her first cousin, Ena of Battenberg, who converted and married Alfonso XIII of Spain, were the only grandchildren of British monarchs to do this.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Wonder of it will be St Georgs Chapel or at a catholic Church perhaps in London

There are Catholic Churches in Kensington and the duchess may have attended Mass there
In was also thinking of York too.

 

[Curryong]

I am so sorry to hear of the Duchess of Kent’s death. From all accounts she was a very sweet and kindly person, who led a full life.

May she rest in peace.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

Hans-Rickard, the Dukes of Norfolk, as the most senior peers in the realm, historically and significantly strongly adherent to the old faith, have traditionally been regarded as the lay leaders of Catholics in England. For example, it was the 17th Duke of Norfolk who represented the Queen on the installation and funeral of John Paul I and installation of John Paul II. He also officially welcomed John Paul II at his arrival to the UK in 1982, obviously, in the name of the Queen. Of course, Katherine and Marie-Christine, as wives of royal princes, outranked them formally, but still the traditional per-eminence among the English Catholics belongs to the Dukes of Norfolk.

Yes i know that the Duke of Norfolk is the highest ranked british catholic in the order of precedence. I was as i wrote talking about people within the royal family, of wich he is not.

 

[Blog Real]

Message from the Prince and Princess of Wales on the death of the Duchess of Kent.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1963954773339607313

 

[carlota]

Hhow very sad. She seemed like such a committed woman who stayed true to her beliefs. I loved the fact she decided to teach as 'Ms Kent' in a school.

Rest in Peace, sweet Katharine.

This was her favourite song, so here's a little homage

It is a beautiful song. did she say in an interview this was her favourite?

 

[shady lady]

That's very sad news indeed. My condolences to the family.

R.I.P.

 

[Adda]

It is a beautiful song. did she say in an interview this was her favourite?

She listed this song among her favourites in a 2005 interview on BBC Radio 3.