King Charles and Kate Middleton put their close bond on public display while attending a historic funeral service on September 16.
The royals gathered at Westminster Cathedral for the funeral of Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, who passed away on September 4.
She was laid to rest in the first royal Catholic funeral held for a member of the British royal family.
Highlights
- Princess Kate shared a rare public gesture of affection with King Charles at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral service.
- Duchess Katharine was the first royal to get a Catholic funeral in modern history after her passing at the age of 92.
- The 43-year-old royal paid tribute to tradition by wearing Queen Elizabeth’s pearls, a mourning custom dating back to Queen Victoria.
- “Why is Kate Middleton so gauche?” wrote one user online.
“She's very controlled and cautious, and careful,” noted a royal expert about Kate’s public personality.
The royal family attended the Catholic funeral of the late Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral
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The late duchess, who married into the royal family through her wedding to the late Queen Elizabeth's cousin, the Duke of Kent, converted to Catholicism in 1994.
The service was also the first royal funeral to be held at Westminster Cathedral since its construction in 1903.
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After the Requiem Mass, members of the royal family gathered on the steps of the cathedral as Katharine’s coffin was moved to a hearse.
The coffin was then transported to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor.
Prince William and the Princess of Wales were among the attendees, standing behind the monarch outside the cathedral.
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As King Charles began to leave the service in his car, the princess bid farewell to her father-in-law with a now-viral gesture.
She gave him a kiss on both cheeks and a quick, graceful curtsy, while keeping one hand lightly on his shoulder.
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The Princess of Wales shared a sweet public gesture with her father-in-law during the funeral service
The 76-year-old monarch shares a close bond with his “beloved daughter-in-law.”
However, Princess Kate usually upholds royal values and protocol during her public outings and rarely breaks character.
Shedding light on her “controlled and cautious, and careful” nature, royal expert Valentine Low told GB News how she differs from the more “outgoing” Queen Camilla.
"Camilla is much more outgoing. She says what she thinks, she's incredibly engaging, Camilla, and funny. That's not to say Kate can't be funny in private, but you know, it's much more obviously the case with Camilla."
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The service was attended by several members of the royal family, including Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Another royal expert, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, told People in 2024, “[King Charles and Princess Kate] always had a very good bond.”
Highlighting how their shared experience of being diagnosed with cancer in 2024 further forged “a close connection” between the two, she added, “I don’t think it is presumptuous to say that she is like the daughter he never had.”
King Charles and Kate Middleton share a “close connection,” as observed by a royal biographer
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"He shares with William an impulse to protect her. They are in this together, Kate and the King."
For the service, the future queen stepped out in traditional black mourning attire.
She wore a black, coat-style midi dress paired with sheer black tights, matching pump heels, a hat with a mesh veil, and a Chanel leather handbag.
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The highlight of her ensemble was a pair of white pearl earrings and Queen Elizabeth’s four-strand pearl choker, originally gifted to the late monarch from Japan in the 1970s.
It was the same choker the princess wore to the funerals of both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
Pearls became associated with mourning and funerals during Queen Victoria’s reign, and the tradition has continued within the royal household ever since.
The 43-year-old princess wore the late Queen Elizabeth’s pearls, upholding the family’s mourning tradition
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Queen Victoria wore pearls in mourning after the passing of her beloved husband, Prince Albert, in 1861.
“Pearls are one of the very few jewelry items you can wear in mourning… It's a symbol of mourning a monarch,” Bethan Holt, the author of The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style, told People.
Netizens praised and admired Kate “for respecting her father-in-law,” with many comparing her to the late Princess Diana and hailing her as the future “Great Queen.”
“Kate Middleton is the ONLY royal I love and respect,” wrote one user online.
Another commented, “The future Queen is a jewel of the Monarchy just like her past Mother in law, full of grace and elegance!”
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However, one eagle-eyed user had an interesting observation that they shared on X, zooming in on the duo’s interaction and pointing out how the King “looked startled for a moment” by her gesture.
“Why is Kate Middleton so gauche? She launched at Charles so much so, that he looked startled for a moment. One can almost understand why Kate instantly disliked the gracious Meghan Sussex.”
The Duchess of Kent passed away at the age of 92 at her Kensington Palace home
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Katharine is survived by her husband, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, along with their three children and 10 grandchildren.
Following the duchess’s passing, Prince William and Princess Kate expressed their condolences to Prince Edward and his family in a joint personal statement.
“Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas. The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music. She will be a much missed member of the family.”
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The Requiem Mass was conducted by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, alongside Bishop James Curry, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, and the Dean of Windsor.
“Everything about her is always courteous and class,” wrote one social media user
