Flora Vesterberg, nee Ogilvy, was supported by her husband, Timothy Vesterberg, at the Duchess of Kent's funeral on 16 September.
The late duchess' sister Princess Alexandra's granddaughter, 30, was pictured making her way to Westminster Cathedral to pay her respects, but she stood out among the sea of mourners in her blue dress. Flora wore a belted coatdress featuring lapels, pocket detailing and an A-line midi skirt, teamed with a matching hat with a bow at the back.
Flora Vesterberg and her husband were pictured at a Requiem Mass catholic funeral service for the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral
While others were spotted wearing deep, midnight blue, art historian Flora's brighter navy raised questions over whether she had broken the etiquette expected for funeral attire. Jo Hayes, etiquette expert and founder of EtiquetteExpert.Org, told HELLO! what we'd expect royal guests to wear.
"For women, all-black, modest clothing - dress or skirt, plus coat if desired - with hemlines falling at or below the knee. Women will also be required to wear a black mantilla (also known as a sacred veil, or church veil), or other black head-covering (hat/headpiece) as a sign of respect for both the church and the deceased," she said, before noting that brighter blue, such as Flora's dress, may be considered a bold choice for men or women.
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"A dark suit for men - black or navy blue (very dark blue - not the lighter 'royal blue' we saw Donald Trump wear to Pope Francis' funeral earlier this year). A dark grey suit would also pass, but I’d suggest men opt for the darkest shades possible."
The Prince and Princess of Wales chose sombre black clothing for the funeral
She accessorised with delicate pearl drop earrings, which are considered "modest" and "perfect" for the sombre occasion.
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Catholic etiquette
However, Jo noted that the official dress code is different for every funeral, and we may not be privy to certain "rules" set out in this scenario. "The Duchess of Kent was Catholic, hence a Catholic funeral with Catholic funeral rites in a Catholic Cathedral - Westminster Cathedral is an active parish cathedral in the heart of London, offering mass multiple times each day.
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"So, what to wear to a funeral at Westminster Cathedral? First things first: What is the stipulated dress code? Not all funerals have a dress code, but 'royal', and other important/ceremonial funerals do. As this is a private funeral, we’re not privvy to the stipulated dress code, so these are guidelines based on general royal funeral etiquette and Catholic funeral etiquette," she said.
Princess Anne, Duchess Sophie and King Charles were also among the attendees
Flora joined the likes of Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess Sophie, Princess Anne, King Charles and more royals at the Duchess of Kent's funeral. One person who was missing was Queen Camilla, who pulled out of attending the funeral while she recovers from acute sinusitis, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement.
Today's service is historic, as it marks the first royal funeral to take place at the cathedral in Victoria, central London, since its construction in 1903. It will also be the first Catholic funeral staged for a member of the royal family in modern times after the Duchess became the first royal to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years, doing so in 1994.
The Duchess of Kent's funeral was the first to take place at the cathedral in Victoria, central London, since its construction in 1903
The order of service for the Duchess of Kent's requiem of mass has been released in the lead-up to today's funeral, which takes place after a private family vigil last night. It will include a message from Pope Leo XIV as well as several hymns and prayers.
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