Queen pulls out of Duchess of Kent's funeral due to illness
The Queen has pulled out of attending the funeral of the Duchess of Kent while she recovers from acute sinusitis, Buckingham Palace has announced.
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The Duchess of Kent’s funeral service will be held at Westminster Cathedral and attended by the King and other members of the royal family.
The Queen is said to hope to have recovered sufficiently to be able to attend all elements of US president Donald Trump’s busy state visit on Wednesday and Thursday.
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A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon’s Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis.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.”
The Duke of Kent has been informed, and is said to fully understand Camilla’s decision, and has sent his best wishes for a speedy recovery.
The Queen travelled down from Scotland this morning and is currently en route to Windsor to rest.
Camilla, 78, had been due join to the King and other members of the royal family at the farewell to the duchess at Westminster Cathedral in London on Tuesday afternoon.
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 late Queen’s funeral service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, ended with a piper playing the same tune.