British Catholics welcomed the presence of King Charles III and top royals at the Sept. 16 funeral Mass for the Duchess of Kent, a Catholic convert, the first such ceremony in the once-persecuted Church’s main cathedral.

King Charles and Kate Middleton put their close bond on public display while attending a historic funeral service on6. The royals gathered at Westminster Cathedral for the funeral of Katharine, the Duchess of Kent,

Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on September 4 aged 92.

The Duke of York - who is rarely seen at public royal gatherings anymore following his fall from grace over accusations of sexual assault by the late Virginia Giuffre, which he denies and his friendship with convicted child sex offender - arrived with his former wife Sarah Ferguson.

Her coffin was covered in the royal standard for other members of the Royal Family, differentiated by its white border. For the first few minutes of the journey, a lone piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards,

The Duke of Sussex marks his 41st birthday, and the Duchess of Kent's coffin is taken to Westminster Cathedral on the eve of her funeral

Katharine, the Duchess of Kent’s family have accompanied her coffin as it arrived at Westminster Cathedral ahead of her funeral service on Tuesday.