Duchess of Kent funeral updates: Mourners arrive at Westminster Cathedral as Queen Camilla pulls out after falling ill

Former politician Jeffrey Archer and his wife Mary Archer have just arrived at Westminster Cathedral for the Duchess of Kent’s funeral:

Rebecca English, the Mail’s Royal Editor, filmed a video of Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Lady Susan Hussey arriving at Westminster Cathedral along with other guests:

We’re now seeing the first arrivals at Westminster Cathedral for the funeral – Rula Lenska and Maureen Lipman have just been pictured walking in:

Shortly after her death earlier this month, royal biographer Robert Hardman shared his fond memories of the Duchess of Kent. Watch his moving tribute to the late royal:

Future Talent, a charity co-founded by the Duchess of Kent in 2004, has paid tribute to the late Royal in a moving post on social media. The organisation helps to support young musicians from low income backgrounds.

Rebecca English, the Mail’s Royal Editor, has just tweeted this video of guests beginning to arrive at Westminster Cathedral for the funeral service:

Earlier we reported that Queen Camilla has pulled out of attending the Duchess of Kent ‘s funeral as she is recovering from acute sinusitis.

Sinusitis is a common illness that results from the swelling of the sinuses, usually caused by an infection, according to the NHS website.

It usually clears up on its own within four weeks, although medicines can speed recovery along.

Symptoms include a blocked or runny nose, a reduced sense of smell, a high temperature and in some cases headaches.

Before she married Prince Edward in June 1961, the Duchess of Kent had worked at a nursery in London.

And over three decades later, she returned to the profession somewhat anonymously teaching music at a primary school in Hull under the clever pseudonym ‘Mrs Kent’.

During a rare interview in 2011, Katharine opened up about the 13 years she spent teaching at Wansbeck Primary School.

Read more in this article written by the Mail’s Ed Holt:

The Mail understands Camilla hopes to have recovered sufficiently to attend all elements of the State Visit by Donald Trump and this week’s other engagements, in what is scheduled to be a very busy programme.

We’ve been told that the Duke of Kent has been informed, and fully understands the Queen’s decision. He has sent his best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Her Majesty travelled down from Scotland this morning and will spend the day resting at Windsor.

The Queen has pulled out of attending the funeral of the Duchess of Kent while she recovers from acute sinusitis, Buckingham Palace has just announced.

A spokesman said: ‘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. Her thoughts and prayers will be with The Duke of Kent and all the family.’

There will be no livestream or televised coverage from inside the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral today, because it is a private service.

However, the Mail will bring you photographs and videos of Royal Family members arriving ahead of the service which starts at 2pm.

The Duchess of Kent’s mourning grandchildren appeared sombre as they attended a vigil for her yesterday, ahead of today’s funeral. Read the Mail’s full report here:

Rebecca English, the Mail’s Royal Editor, has tweeted a link to an article about the Duchess of Kent’s former music pupil speaking about her ‘quiet dedication’ to supporting young musicians from deprived backgrounds. Read it in full here:

While the Duchess of Kent was the proud mother of three children – two sons and a daughter – she had a ‘longing for a large and mutually supportive family’.

Writing in her biography of the Duchess’s life, royal author Mary Riddell claimed that it was around 1975 that Katharine was ‘consumed’ by her desire for another child.

And due to this yearning it is likely the Duchess would have been thrilled when she discovered she was pregnant with her fourth child.

However, tragedy struck and Katharine was left with a terrible dilemma about whether she should terminate her pregnancy.

Read more in this article written by the Mail’s Ed Holt:

Buckingham Palace has said the Duchess of Kent’s funeral will begin at 2pm today.

We’ve also just been sent the first photograph of the day outside Westminster Cathedral, where the service will be held:

An online book of condolence for the Duchess of Kent opened on the monarchy’s official website following her death.

Members of the public wishing to pay their respects to the duchess’s family can do so at royal.uk.

The virtual book of condolence opened last Tuesday, a week ahead of the duchess’s funeral today.

The Duchess of Kent will be buried at a sacred ground in Windsor today alongside 33 other Royal Family members including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The coffin carrying the body of Katharine will be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore – and you can find out more about its history here:

The Royal Family’s Instagram account has posted a moving tribute to the Duchess of Kent ahead of her funeral, including a series of photos documenting her life:

The Duchess of Kent was the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent.

Katharine, 92, was known for consoling losing Wimbledon finalists, notably a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993, and presented trophies at the championships for many years.

She preferred to be known as Mrs Kent and dropped her HRH style, retreating from royal life to spend more than a decade teaching music in a state primary school in Hull.

Buckingham Palace said she died peacefully on September 4 at her Kensington Palace home surrounded by her family.

A devout follower of the Roman Catholic faith, the Duchess of Kent became the first member of the royal family to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years, doing so in 1994, and it was her wish to have her funeral at Westminster Cathedral.

Hers will be the first royal funeral at the cathedral in the Victoria area of Central London since its construction in 1903.

The King will not be the first monarch to have attended a Catholic funeral, as Queen Elizabeth II attended the Catholic state funeral of King Baudouin of the Belgians, at St Michael’s Cathedral in Brussels, in August 1993.

Charles, when Prince of Wales, went to Pope John Paul II’s funeral, representing his mother the late Queen, in 2005, while his son William attended Pope Francis’s funeral mass earlier this year.

The late Duchess of Kent was mourned by three generations of her family at a private vigil last night ahead of her funeral today.

Her coffin was carried in a royal hearse to Westminster Cathedral and was accompanied by a lone Piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards, of which she had been Deputy Colonel-in-Chief since its inception in 1992.

Read the full story from Mail reporters Elmira Tanatarova and Monique Rubins here:

The Prince and Princess of Wales will attend the Duchess of Kent’s funeral today, Kensington Palace has confirmed.

Good morning and welcome to the Daily Mail’s live coverage ahead of the Duchess of Kent’s funeral service at Westminster Cathedral today.

The requiem mass, a Catholic funeral, is the first to be held for a member of the monarchy in modern British history and will feature a Scottish bagpipe lament performed during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.

A piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards will play the lament – Sleep, Dearie, Sleep – while processing from the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, past the duchess’s coffin in the Nave and down the cathedral’s central aisle.

The service is set to be attended by the King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family. Stay with us throughout today for all the latest updates.