Pope Leo praised the Duchess steadfast commitment to public service, giving thanks to God for her contributions, emphasizing her embodiment of Christian virtues.
Newsroom (16/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV has expressed profound sorrow at the passing of Britain’s Duchess of Kent, Katharine, lauding her enduring “legacy of Christian goodness” in a heartfelt telegram sent to King Charles on Tuesday. The Pope extended his condolences to the Royal Family, entrusting the Duchess’s “noble soul to the mercy of our Heavenly Father.”
In his message to Buckingham Palace, Pope Leo conveyed his prayerful closeness to King Charles, the Duke of Kent, and their children and grandchildren during this time of grief. “I send heartfelt condolences, together with the assurance of my prayerful closeness, to Your Majesty, the members of the Royal Family, and especially to her husband, the Duke of Kent, and their children and grandchildren at this time of sorrow,” the Pope wrote.
The Duchess, born Katharine Worsley, married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth, in 1961. She made history in 1994 by converting to Catholicism, becoming the first senior royal to do so publicly since the 18th century. Her funeral, a Requiem Mass held on Tuesday at Westminster Cathedral and led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, marked the first royal funeral at the principal Catholic church in England and Wales.
Reflecting on her life, Pope Leo praised the Duchess’s steadfast commitment to public service, noting her “many years of dedication to official duties, patronage of charities, and devoted care for vulnerable people in society.” He joined those giving thanks to God for her contributions, emphasizing her embodiment of Christian virtues.
“To all who mourn her loss, in the sure hope of the Resurrection,” the Pope concluded, “I willingly impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Risen Lord.”
The Duchess’s passing closes a chapter of quiet but impactful service within the Royal Family, leaving behind a legacy defined by faith, compassion, and duty.
- Raju Hasmukh with file from Vatican News
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