Bishop highlights before British royalty the historical conversion of the Duchess of Kent to Catholicism

The Westminster Cathedral welcomed British royalty for the British royal for Duchess Katharine of Kent, who in 1994 became the first member of the Royal Family to move to Catholicism in more than 300 years.

It was the “first real funeral in the Westminster Cathedral since its construction in 1903, and the first Catholic real funeral in modern history,” he said The website of the royal family.

In addition to King Carlos III and Duke Eduardo de Kent – the last brother of Isabel II – the princes of Wales, Guillermo and Kate Middleton attended; Princess Ana of England; Prince Andrés, among others.

It was a private ceremony, held behind closed doors and chaired by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols; who was assisted in the preaching by Mons. James Curry, auxiliary bishop.

During the funeral the telegram was read that Pope Leo XIV sent to King Carlos III, in which the Pontiff entrusted Katharine’s “noble soul” to the mercy of God and highlighted “the legacy of Christian goodness of the Duchess, visible in her many years of dedication to his official duties, sponsorship of beneficial organizations and devout care of the vulnerable people of society.”

This was also highlighted by Mons. Curry, who In his homily He mentioned that “Katharine was strengthened by the rites of the Church” and “died surrounded by prayer, love and care for his family.”

The Duchess was born in 1933 in Yorkshire County and died on September 4 in London.

In that sense, when referring to his admission to the Catholic Lglesia, the Bishop asked: “Was it a mere coincidence that a close neighbor of the family in Yorkshire was a young Benedictine monk who would become Ampleforth’s abbot and later Archbishop of Westminster, Basil Hume?”.

The Prelate indicated that Cardinal Hume “would play an important role in the life of the Duchess when, in 1994, it was received in full communion with the Catholic Church.”

“When Lady Katharine, as the cardinal called her, took this step, was eternally grateful for the generous consent of her majesty the queen (Isabel II), whom the Duchess continued to serve with love, admiration and loyalty,” he said.

“Guided by Cardinal Hume and others,” he added, “Katharine continued a personal spiritual journey that had begun in the Church of England. As with every human soul, that spiritual journey implied the search for fullness, healing, inner peace and, ultimately, of God.”

The conversion of the Duchess of Kent was historic, since until then no member of British royalty had been received in the Catholic Church since the late seventeenth century, at least publicly. In 1685 King Carlos II became Catholicism in his death bed, although he had an Anglican funeral.

The Duchess described her conversion as a “long -meditated personal decision” and that she was attracted to the comfort and clarity of the Catholic faith. “I love guidelines, and the Catholic Church offers you,” he once told the BBC. “I’ve always wanted that in my life. I like to know what is expected of me.” In 2001, his son Nicholas Windsor also entered the Catholic Church.

On the assistance of the King, the Royal Family website states that “the monarch has previously attended Requiem masses in Britain. Queen Victoria attended the Mass of the Catholic funeral of the Imperial Prince Luis Napoleon in the church of Santa María de Chislehurst in 1879. King Jorge V attended the Mass of Requiem of Empress Eugenia in San Miguel de Farnborough in July 1920 ”.

He also emphasizes that the Duchess was “a devout follower of the Roman Catholic faith” and that “her desire was that her funeral was held in the Westminster Cathedral.”