Given at Westminster Cathedral on 16 September 2025, for the funeral of HRH Katharine, Duchess of Kent.
Dear friends,
The warmth of the tributes that have been paid at the passing of HRH the Duchess of Kent, known to so many as Katharine, shows the level of affection and respect in which she was, and is still, held. Her death is mourned, her life recalled and praised, both in public tributes and by the many charities with which she worked so selflessly.
The presence of Your Majesties, Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales along with the Princess Royal, and so many members of the Royal Family is eloquent testimony to your affection and respect for this woman of grace, beauty and determination.
The presence of many friends, representatives of charities and organisations with which the late Duchess was connected echoes those same sentiments.
Many of you will know Katharine from her patronage, work and involvement with the Armed Forces, and her regiments. The young Duchess of course knew life as a military wife.
Our Quaker friends, and indeed the Trappist Monks, have a saying: Something has to be really good to replace silence. There is much wisdom in that saying. Often in the face of death we find ourselves at a loss as to what to say. More often than not, our presence, our embrace, our kindness is more important than the words we speak. Yet we find that we cannot remain silent. Words are often clumsy. Please forgive any clumsiness in these words.
Death, when it comes, is always like a thief in the night. No matter how well prepared we are, death robs us of a person, a person we now can no longer hold or touch. Death always leaves unfinished business, loose ends and incomplete conversations. It leaves a painful absence that rarely heals completely.
Reflecting on this pain and the many ways it touches our lives the late Cardinal Basil Hume pointed to the Cross of Jesus Christ. He invited us to see that “Behind every crucifix stands our Risen Lord. Hidden in every suffering and pain is the joy of closer union with Him. His is the victory. He invites us to share it.”
That is to say, Jesus of Nazareth, the Risen One, embodies the hope offered to all of us, that our lives are more than simply sunrise and sunset; not just toil and heartache; that we are, all of us, caught up in the eternity of God's loving embrace.
The Cardinal continued: “And when we see God in all His beauty we will be able to whisper into the ear of a merciful and compassionate God the story of my life which I had never been able to tell. Death is only the way which leads us to the vision of God... It is in heaven that we shall rest in Him and our hearts will be restless until they rest in God.”
Katharine knew this restlessness. She understood the needs to which it gives rise. In an interview for an ITN programme featuring her work with a children’s hospice she was asked why she spent so much time talking with those in the hospice. Katharine answered: “I have learnt that tears and smiles walk side-by-side”.
Indeed, at a time such as this, our tears of sadness, loss and regret, become mixed with our smiles of remembrance, of our shared laughter, of the silly, loving moments when we so enjoyed each other’s company, lost in wonder and embrace.
Katharine experienced, as every heart does, upset, disappointment, and heartache. Yet she also knew the joy of living. She experienced and gave compassion, empathy, forgiveness and reconciliation. She also had a mischievous sense of humour and so many of you today will cherish memories of your encounters with her.
You may have heard the story of a woman who thought she had spotted someone she knew in a well-known Knightsbridge store; she rushed up to embrace her acquaintance, asking how she was. Katharine, recovering quickly, said she was “fine, and I hope you are too.” The woman, realising her mistake, began to apologise. The Duchess completely unfazed smiled and said, “it was lovely to meet you.”
In this funeral Mass, Katharine’s family are surely at the centre of our prayers: Your Royal Highness, George, Helen, Nicholas and your families. There is such sadness today at the passing of a wife, mother, grandmother, an attentive Godmother, and a dear, dear friend.
Katharine was fortified by the Rites of the Church. She died surrounded with prayer, love and cared for by her family. I know that the family are immensely grateful for all who helped care for the Duchess in these recent years.
The Worsley family, who have a special place here today, will also have their own memories of Katharine, a Yorkshire Rose who was famous for her great love of Yorkshire, the people and landscape, delighting in God’s creation.
Was it mere coincidence that a nearby neighbour to the family in Yorkshire should be a young Benedictine monk who would go on to become the Abbot of Ampleforth and later Archbishop of Westminster, Basil Hume? The Cardinal would play an important role in the Duchess‘s life when, in 1994, she was received into full communion with the Catholic Church. When Lady Katharine, as the Cardinal called her, took this step, she was ever grateful for the gracious consent of her late Majesty the Queen, whom the Duchess continued to serve with love, admiration and loyalty.
Guided by Cardinal Hume and others Katharine continued a personal spiritual journey that had begun for her in the Church of England. As is true for every human soul, that spiritual journey involved a search for wholeness, healing, inner peace and, ultimately, for God.
Music of all genres, and its healing power, was a passion for Katharine Kent. It is said that "when the angels play music for God, they play Bach, but when they play music for themselves, they play Mozart." I hope heaven is ready for a rapping Duchess.
Katharine gave her name, time and empathy to so many charities in all parts of the country. Supporting and encouraging the musical education of children in East Hull students at The Royal Northern College of Music, and caring for the sick and the elderly, whether on the Lourdes Pilgrimage, in a hospice or a day shelter for homeless people.
What a sight it was to see Lady Katharine with a mop cleaning out the lavatory or relaxing and laughing with other pilgrims in the sunshine enjoying an ice cream. Lady Katharine also trained to work with the Samaritans and was a Co-Founder of the charity Future Talent. Mrs Kent loved teaching children, knowing that a classroom is full of learners.
Too often young lives, and ours, are solely defined by hurt, wounds and disappointments. With Future Talent the Duchess, Mrs Kent, wanted those young persons to have the opportunity to be defined by the gift, potential and promise they possess, and to give them the opportunity to flourish.
And who could ever forget that Wimbledon moment at the Ladies’ Final with Jana Novotná. 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.” The great Spanish spiritual Mystic, St John of the Cross, reminds us that in the evening of our lives we will be judged by our love.
“I have learnt that tears and smiles walk side-by-side”. There is sadness today, and there is also gratitude for a life lived with dignity, bravery and faith.
We entrust Katharine’s soul to your goodness, Lord. Console the hearts of all those who love her in the hope that she, all who trust in you, will find rest and peace in your kingdom.
Amen.