🔗 Share this article

Her Majesty the Queen has pulled out of attending the funeral of the Duchess of Kent with "profound disappointment", as the royal household stating she is recovering from acute sinusitis.

Yet the palace indicates the monarch, despite this painful inflammation of the sinuses, is scheduled to participate in the official trip of the US President, who will be in the royal town on midweek.

King Charles and additional senior royals are expected later at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral.

It is the first Roman Catholic funeral for a figure of the royal household in modern times – and a blessing from the Pontiff will be presented during the service.

The monarch's ailment was revealed by the palace prior to the memorial, which will occur on Tuesday afternoon.

"With great regret, Her Majesty the Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this day's Requiem Mass for the Duchess of Kent as she is managing acute sinusitis. Her thoughts and prayers will be with the Duke of Kent and the entire family," noted the statement.

The casket of the duchess was transported to the house of worship on the previous day, draped in the royal standard and with white roses among the flowers, in memory of the late Duchess' Yorkshire roots.

The duchess was the most senior individual of the Royal Family when she died earlier this month at the age of 92. She was wed to the first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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

The Cardinal, who will lead the ceremony, has spoken of how the duchess often volunteered at the homeless support organization for the homeless, which is located nearby to the cathedral.

Speaking ahead of the funeral, he described her as a "approachable person" who had assisted in the kitchen and with maintenance at the organization.

"So as well as combining royal duties, she entered very wholeheartedly into community service," Cardinal Nichols shared.

This is a historic moment in terms of being a royal Catholic funeral, but the clergyman said it should be seen mainly as a "private memorial where the relatives of the household come together."

"One of their oldest members has died. A lady who was greatly loved within that family and also, evidently, by much of the community," added Cardinal Nichols.

The duchess had a deep love of music and had worked as a primary school educator, calling herself a common surname, with the students not knowing anything about her royal life.

Music at the service will include Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart, which was selected by the duchess as her preferred piece when she was a guest on the BBC's Desert Island Discs in 1990.

A piper will perform the lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep, which was heard at the funeral of the Queen Elizabeth, which was three years ago this week.

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

The duchess will also be remembered as a well-known figure at the Wimbledon championships, where she handed over trophies – and consoled those who had been defeated, including a tearful a tennis professional in that year.

After the service at Westminster Cathedral, the coffin will be transferred to the cemetery in the estate, on the Windsor estate.