Queen Camilla will not attend Duchess of Kent's funeral as Palace issues statement

Queen Camilla will not be attend the Duchess of Kent's funeral this afternoon, as announced by Buckingham Palace. She was scheduled to attend the requiem mass with King Charles this afternoon, but she is currently recovering from acute sinusitis.

It is hoped that the Queen will have recovered enough to participate in all aspects of US President Donald Trump's busy state visit on Wednesday and Thursday.

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace stated: "With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon's Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis. Her thoughts and prayers will be with The Duke of Kent and all the family."

The Duke of Kent has been informed and is said to fully understand Camilla's decision, sending his best wishes for a speedy recovery.

The Queen travelled down from Scotland this morning and is currently on her way to Windsor to rest. Camilla, 78, had been due to join the King and other members of the Royal family at the farewell to the duchess at Westminster Cathedral in London this afternoon, reports the Mirror.

Before the Palace confirmed Queen Camilla's decision to withdraw from the funeral, Kensington Palace released a statement confirming that William and Kate will attend the service alongside King Charles.

When the Duchess passed away earlier this month at the age of 92, William and Kate offered their condolences in a touching 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. W and C."

Charles and Camilla similarly paid their respects to the Duchess following her death with a social media tribute that stated: "The King and Queen and all Members of The Royal Family join The Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly The Duchess's life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people."

The Duchess, originally Katharine Worsley, gained recognition primarily for awarding prizes at Wimbledon and famously consoled a tearful Jana Novotva following her defeat in the 1993 ladies' singles final against Steffi Graf.

In 2002, she withdrew from Royal responsibilities, relinquishing her HRH title and dedicating herself to working as an unassuming music instructor at a comprehensive school in Hull, where colleagues knew her simply as Mrs Kent.

Her public engagements became increasingly rare in later years, though she did make an appearance at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding ceremony in 2018. She was last spotted in public in October at an event celebrating her husband's 89th birthday.

The celebration, which included a bagpipe rendition of 'Happy Birthday', took place outside their Kensington Palace residence, Wren House.