Her Majesty the Queen Consort Withdraws From Funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent

Queen Camilla, who is 78, is unable to be present at the funeral at the cathedral

Queen Camilla has will miss the funeral of the Duchess of Kent with "deep regret", with Buckingham Palace stating she is battling acute sinusitis.

However the palace confirms the Queen, despite this uncomfortable condition of the sinuses, is scheduled to participate in the official trip of President Trump, who will be in Windsor on midweek.

The King and additional senior royals will be arriving later at the service of Katharine at Westminster Cathedral.

It is the initial Roman Catholic memorial service for a member of the royal household in modern times – and a note from Pope Leo will be read out during the ceremony.

The duchess had been a dedicated supporter of music and tennis

The Queen's medical issue was announced by the palace ahead of the memorial, which will be held on Tuesday afternoon.

"With great regret, Queen Camilla has stepped back from participation at this afternoon's Requiem Mass for the Duchess of Kent as she is treating acute sinusitis. Her thoughts and prayers will be with the Duke and all the family," stated the announcement.

The coffin of the duchess was transported to the house of worship on the previous day, covered in the royal standard and with floral arrangements among the tributes, in memory of the duchess' origins.

The royal figure was the most senior individual of the monarchy when she passed away recently at the years of 92. She was married to the first cousin of the deceased Queen Elizabeth II.

There have been many tributes of her compassion and her dedication to charities.

The Cardinal, who will preside over the funeral service, has spoken of how the duchess often offered her time at the homeless support organization for the those in need, which is based nearby to the church.

Speaking before the funeral, he remembered her as a "approachable person" who had helped in the dining area and with cleaning at the charity.

"In addition to combining official responsibilities, she entered very wholeheartedly into community service," Cardinal Nichols told.

This is a historic occasion in terms of being a Catholic service for royalty, but the clergyman said it should be seen primarily as a "family funeral where the relatives of the household gather round."

"A beloved elder has died. A lady who was greatly loved by her relatives and also, evidently, by a wide section of the community," stated Cardinal Nichols.

The casket was transported to Westminster Cathedral on Monday

The late royal had a deep love of the arts and had served as a elementary music teacher, calling herself Mrs Kent, with the students not knowing anything about her background.

Musical selections at the funeral will include a classical piece by the composer, which was chosen by the duchess as her favourite work when she was a participant on the a popular radio program in 1990.

A musician will play the tune Sleep, Dearie, Sleep, which was heard at the funeral of the Queen Elizabeth, which was in the recent past this time.

There will also be performances by JS Bach and from the funeral mass by French composer Maurice Durufle.

The royal will also be remembered as a familiar figure at the Wimbledon tournament, where she handed over trophies – and comforted those who had been defeated, including a tearful Jana Novotna in that year.

Following the service at the cathedral, the remains will be taken to the royal burial ground in Frogmore, on the Windsor estate.

Tammy Smith
Tammy Smith

A passionate football journalist with over 10 years of experience covering Italian football and Serie B teams.