The Princess of Wales was seen comforting King Charles III as senior members of the royal family farewelled Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who passed away at the age of 92.
However, there was one member of the British royal family who was noticeably missing.
Queen Camilla was unable to attend the funeral, which was the first Catholic Requiem Mass the royal family has attended in several hundred years, as she was recovering from a bout of acute sinusitis.
It comes as reports suggest the King and Queen are living separately amid speculation that they are “growing apart”.
“With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon’s Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis,” Buckingham Palace explained in a statement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.”
Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, sent the Queen his best wishes for a speedy recovery.
The 78-year-old travelled down to London from Balmoral Castle earlier in the week, and she’s expected to rest for a few days, before attending all the events she was scheduled to attend during President Donald Trump’s UK visit later this week.
Earlier this week an insider told Radar Online of the King and Queen: “They are putting on a united front in public. But behind the scenes it’s a very different picture.”
They further explained, “Camilla lives at Ray Mill most of the time, while Charles retreats to Highgrove or Clarence House.”
King Charles appeared emotional as he led the royal progression at Katharine’s funeral, which was attended by Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as, Princess Anne, Sir Timothy Laurence, Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and Lady Amelia Windsor and Lady Marina Windsor.
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson also made a rare public appearance together to farewell the cherished member of the royal family, which shocked onlookers, reveals The Sun.
After the service, Andrew – who is potentially facing a new Jeffrey Epstein probe – was seen awkwardly interacting with an uncomfortable looking Prince of Wales.
Body language expert Judi James told Daily Mail that Prince William’s ‘non-verbal responses’ suggest a degree of ‘awkwardness’ between the pair.
Ms James, who describes Andrew as looking smug, says: “The Duke of York tries to engage his nephew in a good-humoured chat and all William’s non-verbal responses suggest awkwardness and a subliminal desire to reject the overtures, making this look like a very frosty transaction.”
Katharine, Duchess of Kent, was married to Queen Elizabeth’s cousin the Duke of Kent, and she is survived by her husband, their three children and 10 grandchildren. According to her biography, The Duchess of Kent, Katharine was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1994, despite the monarch being the head of the Church of England.
She died in her home on September 4.
“Her Royal Highness passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family,” they Buckingham Palace announced in a statement the following day. “The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people.”
The funeral service was the first royal funeral at Westminster Cathedral since its construction in 1903.
Following the funeral service, Katharine was buried at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor. The Duke of Windsor, Queen Elizabeth’s uncle who abdicated the throne, and his wife, Wallis Simpson, are also buried there.
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