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British Royals

The white rose of York adorns the coffin of Duchess of Kent who was ‘proudly of Yorkshire heritage’

By
16th September 2025
The coffin of the Duchess of Kent is carried by a bearer party of the Royal Dragoon Guard at Westminster Cathedral

The coffin of the Duchess of Kent was adored with white roses, a nod to her home county of Yorkshire.

The Duchess, who died at the age of 92, was buried after at Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral.

During the Catholic service, attended by King Charles, the coffin was draped in the Royal Standard. And on top of that were flowers from her immediate family which included the white rose, the flower of York.

The Duchess was born Katharine Worsley in February 1933 at Hovingham Hall in Yorkshire. She grew up in the country and remained deeply attached to and very proud of it throughout her life.

When she accepted the proposal of Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent, they chose to marry at York Minister. Theirs was the first royal wedding there since the 14th century when Edward III married Philippa of Hainault at the Minster. The new Duke and Duchess of Kent held their wedding reception at Hovingham Hall.

The Royal Family had earlier paid tribute to the Duchess’ devotion to the county of her birth. In a social media post, featuring a beautiful photo of Katharine as a bride in 1961, Buckingham Palace described her as ”proudly of Yorkshire heritage”.

That pride was reflected in the floral tribute on her coffin where white roses dominated a pretty mix that also included blue and pink blooms. Among them were sprigs of yew from the gardens of Hovingham Hall, chosen as a tribute to the Duchess’ childhood home and to symbolise eternal life.

The family also selected rosemary for remembrance as well as September flowers to represent a farewell. Jasmine, for amiability, and achillea representing healing and strength were also part of the tribute.

The Royal Family turned out in force for the funeral with King Charles joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and the Duchess of Edinburgh in the front rows.

Queen Camilla missed the Requiem Mass after developing acute sinusitis.

Katharine, The Duchess of Kent’s funeral will be followed by a private burial service at Frogmore.

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About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra.Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024.June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station.June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.