On Tuesday, Sept. 16, many members of the royal family turned out to mourn the passing of Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, who died on Sept. 4 at the age of 92. One prominent member of The Firm was noticeably absent from the funeral, however: Queen Camilla.
Camilla was unable to attend the historic funeral (which, as People reported, marked the “first time in several hundred years that the royal family has attended a Catholic Requiem Mass for one of its members”) due to illness.
Specifically, the Queen skipped the funeral to focus on recovering from a bout of acute sinusitis.
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“With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon’s Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis,” Buckingham Palace explained in a statement obtained by People. “Her thoughts and prayers will be with The Duke of Kent and all the family.”
Thankfully, there’s no reason to believe the condition has posed a serious threat to the Queen’s health, since, according to People‘s report, it’s understood that Camilla is “still expected to be able to attend all the engagements for the visit of President Donald Trump over the coming days.”
According to a press release from Buckingham Palace, the Duchess of Kent’s coffin was taken by hearse to Westminster Cathedral on Monday, Sept. 15, where the Rite of Reception and Vespers were scheduled for the “eve of the Requiem Mass” before resting overnight in the Lady Chapel.
After the Requiem Mass on Tuesday, the Duchess of Kent’s coffin was taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor, according to the palace’s release about the funeral service, which also noted that flags would be half-masted at all official Royal Residences flying the Union flag on the day of the funeral in honor of the Duchess’ memory.
It’s fitting that the Duchess of Kent’s Catholic funeral service marked a break in tradition for the royal family, since the royal was known to break royal traditions in life, as well—including at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding, at which Duchess Katherine opted to skip formal footwear in favor of a comfy pair of white and silver Hogan sneakers.
