The royal family marked the death of the Duchess of Kent, Katharine Worsley, on Tuesday with a funeral at Westminster Cathedral, before she was laid to rest in Windsor at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore. While the family of the late Duchess are coming to terms with her loss, it will have been exceptionally difficult for her youngest son, Lord Nicholas Windsor, as the Daily Mail have reported that he and his wife, Paola, have separated. Paola, also known as Lady Nicholas Windsor, was absent from her mother-in-law's funeral proceedings on Tuesday.
The couple share three sons, Albert, Leopold and Louis. An Early Day Motion in the House of Commons welcomed the baptism of Albert as the first royal child to be baptised a Catholic since 1688. In 2006, Lord Nicholas, 55, who is a godson of King Charles, made history when he and Paola de Doimi de Frankopan, 56, a member of the Croatian and Italian nobility, got married. Their wedding was the first Roman Catholic wedding of a member of the Royal Family since the reign of Queen Mary I in the 16th century and also the first to be held in Vatican City State.
A break in tradition
While her son's wedding saw a break in tradition almost two decades ago, the late Duchess' Catholic funeral proceedings also defied convention. In 1994, Katharine converted to Catholicism, making her the first royal to do so for more than 300 years. The funeral marked another historic first as it was also the first royal funeral to take place at the cathedral in Victoria, central London, since its construction in 1903.
The Duchess also defied convention in her daily life, famously dropping her HRH titles whilst she worked as a state primary school teacher in Hull, and preferred being referred to as Mrs Kent. Katharine was also known for consoling losing Wimbledon finalists, notably a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993, and presented trophies at the championships for many years.
Bishop James Curry, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, gave an uplifting homily highlighting the duchess’s varied public life, from training to work with the Samaritans, visiting Lourdes, or co-founding the music charity for young people Future Talent. He said: "Mrs Kent loved teaching children, knowing that a classroom is full of learners. Too often young minds, and ours, are solely defined by hurts, wounds and disappointments. "With Future Talent Mrs Kent wanted those young persons to have the opportunity to be defined by (the) gift, potential and promise they possessed and to give them the opportunity to flourish.
"And who could forget that Wimbledon moment in the ladies’ final with Jana Novotna. When questioned by the press about the embrace, Katharine simply said 'we are human you know, it’s what you do when someone needs comfort'."