The King will attend a Catholic Requiem Mass for the late Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral
Newsroom (15/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a landmark moment for the British monarchy, the King will attend a Catholic Requiem Mass for the late Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral tomorrow, marking the first time a reigning monarch has formally attended a Catholic Mass on British soil since the Reformation.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who passed away last week at the age of 92, converted to Catholicism in 1994, becoming the first member of the Royal Family to join the Catholic Church since King Charles II’s deathbed conversion in 1685. The Duchess, wife of the Duke of Kent—a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II—will be laid to rest at Frogmore, the royal burial ground, following the service.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that the reception of the Duchess’s body into Westminster Cathedral will be a private affair, attended only by family members and a select group of guests. A single general reporter will be permitted to cover the event, despite Catholic funerals typically being open to all the faithful.
The Requiem Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, with assistance from Bishop Jim Curry, an auxiliary bishop in the diocese. In a nod to ecumenical unity, Dr. Christopher Cocksworth, the Anglican Dean of Windsor, will also participate, accompanying the body to Frogmore after the service.
The liturgy will feature traditional Catholic prayers of commendation for the repose of the Duchess’s soul, reflecting the Church’s teachings on purgatory and the importance of intercessory prayers. Key moments, such as the Sign of Peace and the celebration of the Eucharist, are expected to carry particular ecumenical weight given the theological differences between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
While the King is not expected to receive Holy Communion, sources suggest he may present himself for a blessing—a gesture that would be unprecedented for a British monarch in a Catholic liturgy on U.K. soil.
The Duchess’s conversion to Catholicism in 1994, under the guidance of Cardinal Basil Hume, was described by her as “fairly impulsive,” driven by personal encounters with Catholic friends rather than theological disputes, such as the Church of England’s ordination of women. Her decision came nearly three centuries after the 1701 Act of Settlement barred Catholics from the line of succession. As she was Anglican at the time of her 1961 marriage to the Duke of Kent, his place in the succession remained unaffected.
The King, as Prince of Wales, attended Catholic liturgies abroad, including the canonization of St. John Henry Newman in 2019 and the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005. Queen Elizabeth II similarly attended Catholic services overseas but avoided doing so in Britain, reflecting the historically fraught relationship between the Crown and the Catholic Church.
Since Henry VIII’s break with Rome in the 16th century, the monarchy has been constitutionally tied to the Church of England, with Catholics long excluded from public life. However, the late 20th century saw significant steps toward reconciliation, particularly under Cardinal Basil Hume’s leadership as Archbishop of Westminster from 1976 to 1999.
Tomorrow’s funeral represents a historic milestone in the evolving relationship between the Crown and the Catholic Church, signaling a new chapter of mutual respect and understanding.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic Herald
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