King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales attend Duchess of Kent's funeral, Donald Trump arrives at Windsor

Good morning royal fans.

We have a busy day ahead of us with members of the royal family attending the Duchess of Kent's funeral at Westminster Cathedral.

Princess Martha Louise of Norway's Netflix documentary will also be released today so keep your eyes peeled.

Meanwhile, Princess Anne has three outings today. She will re-open the Lloyd's Register Building, attend a London International Shipping Week Reception at Mansion House, and attend the Laying Up of Queen Elizabeth's Sovereign's Standards of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals at Salisbury Cathedral, in Wiltshire. 

Infanta Sofía is celebrating the start of university with new official portraits. In a week, classes for the young royal's Political Science and International Relations degree will begin in Lisbon where she'll spend three years studying.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have unexpectedly been featured in Netflix's new documentary, Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, which follows the "controversial" relationship between Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise and her American shaman partner, Durek Verrett.

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The couple's Oprah interview is brought up in the documentary as Durek discusses his treatment in the spotlight, something he parallels with what Meghan shared in 2021.

The order of service for the Duchess of Kent's requiem of mass has been released in the lead up to today's funeral. The service, which takes place after a private family vigil last night, will include a message from Pope Leo XIV as well as several hymns and prayers.

It will 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 royal family's official Instagram account have shared a tribute to the Duchess of Kent ahead of her funeral this afternoon. Featuring a carousel of pictures of the late Duchess throughout her life, the post also included a touching message honouring her life and work.

"For the last three decades of her life, The Duchess focused on her passion for music, stepping aside as a working Member of The Royal Family in 2002 to focus on her private and charitable work in this sector," the post read.

Members of the public who wish to pay their condolences to Her Royal Highness’s family can send messages via a form that's now live on the royal family's website.

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The Queen has pulled out of attending the funeral of the Duchess of Kent while she recovers from acute sinusitis, Buckingham Palace has announced in a statement. This isn't the first event King Charles' wife has been forced to miss due to her health. Last winter, the royal suffered from a chest infection that prevented her from attending royal engagements.

Princess Anne has also arrived, leading the royal family as they farewell the late Duchess.

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David Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon and eldest child of the late Princess Margaret, has just arrived at the cathedral. He's among the first members of the wider royal family to be seen there.

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Other attendees include George Gilman and Lady Rose Gilman

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The Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have been seen entering the cathedral. Prince Michael of Kent was the Duchess' brother in law. They were also in attendance to the private vigil held yesterday.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales have just arrived at the cathedral where they'll join Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and other members of the royal family.

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The Duchess of Edinburgh has made a solo appearance without her husband, Prince Edward. 

Carrying a small clutch bag, the royal also wore a large hat which sat off to one side. It featured floral adornments and teamed nicely with her updo.

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The Duchess of Kent's grandchildren, Amelia Windsor and Lady Marina have made a sombre appearance as they entered the cathedral. They also appeared alongside their grandfather and parents yesterday for the vigil.

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Pope Leo XIV sent a special message for the late Duchess to be read at today's funeral. 

"I was saddened to learn of the death of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent, and 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. Entrusting her noble soul to the mercy of our Heavenly Father, I readily associate myself with all those offering thanksgiving to Almighty God for The Duchess's legacy of Christian goodness, seen in her many years of dedication to official duties, patronage of charities, and devoted care for vulnerable people in society. To all who mourn her loss, in the sure hope of the Resurrection, I willingly impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Risen Lord."

The Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Lady Susan Hussey and actress Maureen Lipman are among the first to arrive for the Duchess of Kent's funeral, taking their seats ahead of the service. 

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Princess Anne's husband, Sir Timothy Laurence has shown up to support the Princess Royal.

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The Duchess of Kent's funeral may be full of royal mourners but the Duchess certainly wasn't your typical royal. My colleague, Iona, has put together this timeline of Katharine Worsley's life which shows how unafraid the late royal was to plough her own furrow. 

1933

Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley is born in Yorkshire at Hovingham Hall on 22 February. She is the fourth child and only daughter of Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet, and his wife, Joyce Morgan Brunner. She isn't of royal descent, though her family are wealthy. Most notably her grandfather, John Brunner, founded the paint company that later became Imperial Chemical Industries.

1944

She grows up in York and starts boarding school aged 10 – first at St Margaret's in York and later at Runton Hill in Norfolk. At Runton, the future Duchess takes up musical hobbies such as the piano and violin. She attempts to gain a place at the Royal Academy of Music but instead attends Miss Hubler's Finishing School in Oxford. Even though she doesn’t have all the qualifications, her parents subsequently help her gain employment at an exclusive kindergarten.

1956

Aged 24 and a wealthy debutante, she meets Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of George V. He has recently graduated from Sandhurst and is serving as an army officer at Catterick. However, their blossoming relationship is reportedly not approved of by Edward’s mother, Princess Marina, as Katharine is still considered a commoner despite her notable lineage.

1961

Katharine and Edward announce their engagement in March and marry a few months later in June at York Minster, the first royal wedding at the seventh-century building in 633 years. She wears a dress designed by John Cavanagh for the ceremony, accessorised with the Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara. Guests include Queen Elizabeth II, European royals, and Hollywood figures such as Noël Coward and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

1962

Katharine gives birth to her first son, George, Earl of St Andrews in June. Shortly after his birth, as part of her duties as an army wife, she travels to Uganda with her husband to celebrate the country's independence.

1964

Katharine gives birth to her daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, in April.

1970

She gives birth to another son, Lord Nicholas Windsor, in July.

1975

Katharine contracts German measles during her fourth pregnancy and suffers a miscarriage.

1977/8

During her fifth pregnancy, she gives birth to a stillborn son named Patrick, which leads to a period of depression. She is later hospitalised for several weeks due to "nervous strain" caused by the effects of the stillbirth. The BBC reports that she is suffering from coeliac disease and the Epstein-Barr virus, with symptoms resembling ME. 

Twenty years later, she tells The Telegraph about the effect the 'devastating' experience had on her: "I had no idea how devastating such a thing could be to any woman. It has made me extremely understanding of others who suffer a stillbirth." 

She even spoke out about her medical treatment, somewhat against the royal family’s tight-lipped rules: "I am not ashamed of that patch at all. It was not a good period, but once I’d come out and returned to a sense of reality, I quickly realised that, awful as it was, it does happen to a lot of people."

1993

In footage that cements her kind and caring reputation, she comforts 25-year-old Jana Novotná after the Czech tennis player’s defeat by Steffi Graf in the Wimbledon women’s final.

1994

Katharine joins the Roman Catholic Church in January, becoming the first royal to do so since the passing of the Act of Settlement 1701. While the decision draws public attention, it does not affect the Duke of Kent’s place in the line of succession.

2002

She ceases using the title "Her Royal Highness" and is thereafter known as Katharine Kent or Katharine, Duchess of Kent. She spends the following 13 years working as a music teacher at Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull, maintaining a low profile.

2004

She founds the charity Future Talent, aimed at giving children from low-income backgrounds the opportunity to engage in music.

2011

Katharine attends the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton alongside the Duke of Kent.

2016

She hosts a concert at Buckingham Palace as the founder of Future Talent and becomes an ambassador for the Samaritans.

2018

She attends the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in what is her last public appearance at a significant royal event. She appears happy though some remark that she looks frail.

2023

Katharine celebrates her 62nd wedding anniversary with Prince Edward. She joins him at St James’s Palace, where a portrait of her is unveiled by her daughter, Lady Helen Taylor. In the evening, musicians from Future Talent perform.

2024

She makes her final public appearance celebrating her husband’s 89th birthday and is photographed watching a performance by three pipers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. She is seen sitting in a wheelchair, wrapped in a blue blanket, while her husband watches the pipers beside her.

2025

On September 4, the Duchess of Kent dies “peacefully” and “surrounded by her family” aged 92 at Kensington Palace, according to an official royal family statement.

Prince William and Princess Kate describe the Duchess as a "much-missed member of the family" who worked “tirelessly to help others and [support] many causes, including through her love of music."

Princess Kate has made a poignant tribute to the late Queen wearing a stunning four-row Japanese pearl choker necklace. The necklace first loaned to Kate in 2017, it was also previously loaned to Diana in 1982 for a state visit from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Kate also wore the necklace to Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth's funerals.

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King Charles is one of the last of the royal family to arrive. He appeared without Camilla, who pulled out last minute due to a sinusitis infection.

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The monarch was instead joined by his top aide, principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton.

The funeral has begun as the late Duchess' family begin filing into the historic cathedral where they'll hear hymns, prayers and a special message from Pope Leo.

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Prince Andrew has made a surprise appearance alongside the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson.

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The Duke of Kent, who will be farewelling his wife of 64 years, has made a sombre appearance following the family's private vigil last night. He is supported by his children and grandchildren.

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Lady Helen Taylor accompanied her father into the cathedral and is reportedly wearing her mother's diamond and pearl flower brooch for the funeral. It's thought that the late Duchess first acquired the Brooch around the time of Lady Helen's birth back in 1964.

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Today's service marks a significant moment in royal history. The Duchess of Kent's funeral will be the first royal funeral to take place at the cathedral in Victoria, central London, since its construction in 1903.

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Lady Sarah Chatto, daughter of Princess Margaret, has arrived with her son Samuel. Also among the congregation are Lady Frederick Windsor and her husband, both taking their places as mourners continue to gather inside the cathedral.

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Lady Flora Vesterberg followed closely behind in a hat and droplet earrings. While other attendees wore black, Flora opted for a navy blue ensemble, an etiquette expert weighed in on whether this choice breaks royal protocol saying: "Not all funerals have a dress code, but 'royal', and other important/ceremonial funerals do."

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Lord Frederick Windsor, who is the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, is in attendance with his wife, Sophie Winkleman, Lady Frederick Windsor

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The State Hearse is now waiting outside Westminster Cathedral for the conclusion of the Duchess of Kent's funeral service to end, after which it will carry her Frogmore.

The Duchess' coffin has now left Westminster Cathedral where it'll be transported to Frogmore, Windsor.

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The Duke of Kent followed the Duchess' coffin closely behind who was assisted by his daughter, Lady Helen Taylor.

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After Prince Andrew's unexpected appearance at the funeral, he was snapped on the steps outside the cathedral alongside Prince William.

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Kate Middleton has curtsied to King Charles outside of the cathedral before kissing him on the cheek at the conclusion of the service.

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The rest of the royal family have joined the Duchess' immediate family on the steps as the coffin leaves the cathedral.

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Sophie appears to blow a kiss on the steps.

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Prince Andrew joined King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate.

A sweet moment between the Prince and Princess of Wales was also captured.

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