LONDON (LifeSiteNews) — Members of the British royal family attended the Catholic funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at London’s Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday, breaking centuries of protocol.
The duchess, who in later life preferred to be known as Katharine Kent, was popular for her charity work and involvement in the Wimbledon tennis tournament. She handed out the event’s trophies beginning in the 1960s.
Raised Anglican, the late duchess converted to Catholicism in 1994, a decision that removed her from the line of succession. She once said of her embrace of the Catholic faith that it was a “long-considered personal decision.” She also praised the Catholic Church for offering “guidance.” Her son Nicholas followed her into the Church in 2001. Katharine Kent died last Thursday at the age of 92.
Katharine’s widower, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, is the grandson of King George V and first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Now 89, Edward and his late wife, a teacher with a keen interest in music, were married in 1961. They eventually had three children.
The duchess’ funeral is notable in that it was the first Catholic Requiem Mass members of the British Royal Family have attended since the Protestant Reformation. Not only was King Charles, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, in attendance but so were his son and heir apparent Prince William and daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales. Other prominent members of the Royal Family were present as well.
Reuters has quoted Catherine Pepinster, former editor of the UK-based The Tablet, a Catholic media outlet, as having described Charles’ presence as “a huge step forward in ecumenical relations.” Pope Leo XIV himself sent a message that was read aloud at the funeral.
The Duchess of Kent’s conversion to Catholicism was significance in that it is believed to have been the first time a member of the British Royal Family converted to the Catholic faith since the 17th century. The BBC reports that music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) as well as Ave Verum Corpus by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) were played at the funeral, which was overseen by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster who is also the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales.
The Catholic News Agency (CNA) has reported that in the 1970s the duchess fell ill while pregnant with her fourth child and followed doctor’s advice to have an abortion. She later suffered a miscarriage.
“In 1977, she became pregnant again and in a speech to the British Congress of Obstetrics, declared that human life was a gift from God and of unique value, as every birth is a miracle. She also paid tribute to those who fight to protect life and family,” CNA reports. “However, she lost the baby at 36 weeks, an experience she described as ‘devastating‘ and viewed as punishment for the abortion performed two years earlier.”
While King Charles is being praised for attending his Catholic relation’s funeral, he has also been criticized in recent months for initiatives that contradict Christian values. In July, Charles wished his social media followers a happy “pride” month. He also sent Muslims a message marking the start of Ramadan in March while hosting an “Iftar” dinner inside Windsor Castle where Islamic prayers were heard.
Charles was scheduled to visit Pope Francis at the Vatican in early April. They were to participate in an ecumenical ceremony in the Sistine Chapel on the “care for creation.” The decision was scrapped after Francis fell ill and ultimate died just weeks later. The proudly “ecumenical” monarch has long championed the cause of ecological issues before and after his ascent to the throne and has been dubbed by some in the media as a “climate change” king.