Questions remain over the attendance of the Duke of Sussex, who is currently in the UK to attend the Wellchild awards in London and on Wednesday reunited with King Charles after a 19-month estrangement. Reportedly, Prince Harry sent his private condolences to the Duchess’s family. It is also unknown whether or not Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, will attend the funeral services.
As for other guests, should they be invited, it is likely that political figurehads will make their way to Westminster Cathedral, as will representatives of the charities that the Duchess of Kent so tirelessly represented. Following the announcement of her death, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to how the royal brought ‘compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did.’ Dame Esther Rantzen, who came to know the Duchess of Kent through her work with Childline, also honoured Katherine’s work, saying: ‘She was beautiful, she was elegant, and above all, she was empathetic and kind.’
‘She was an amazing woman. I think that her royal role was quite a challenge for her because she was quite a shy person and she had her share of illnesses, but I could tell, I think she sacrificed herself for the sake of others.’
The Duchess of Kent will perhaps be best remembered as a stalwart of the Wimbledon Tennis championships, where she served as a long-time patron and handed out trophies to both winners and losers, famously consoling a tearful Jana Novotna following the 1993 final. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova posted a moving tribute to the Duchess, noting how it was ‘amazing how many millions of people around the globe she affected in a positive way.’
The Duchess of Kent famously consoled Wimbledon runner-up Jana Novotna following the 1993 final
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