Piper will play as Duchess of Kent leaves Kensington Palace for the final time

A lone piper will walk ahead of the coffin of the Duchess of Kent as it leaves Kensington Palace for the final time.

On the eve of the Duchess’ funeral, a piper from the Royal Dragoon Guards will play as the hearse leaves the palace she called home.

The Duchess of Kent was Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Dragoon Guards for over thirty years.

The hearse will travel to Westminster Cathedral where a bearer party made up of Royal Dragoon Guards will carry the coffin to the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary where it will rest overnight.

As the coffin is received into the cathedral, a private Vigil for the Deceased with Rite of Reception and Vespers for the Dead will be held. The immediate family of the Duchess of Kent will attend this private service.

The funeral will be held on September 16 2025 with The King and Queen leading the wider Royal Family in mourning for the Duchess of Kent.

The Duke of Kent and their three surviving children – George, Helen and Nicholas – will attend a Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral.

This will be the first time a reigning Monarch has attended a public Catholic funeral for a senior member of the Royal Family in over 300 years.

The Requiem Mass will be conducted by The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, with support from Bishop James Curry, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, and the Dean of Windsor.

After the funeral, a private burial will take place at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore.

The Duchess of Kent died on September 4 2025 at the age of 92.