Prince Andrew appeared to be kept at arm’s length by other senior royals after the Requiem Mass for Katharine, Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral, with video and expert commentary describing an awkward exchange with his nephew, the Prince of Wales.
Footage of the family leaving the cathedral showed Andrew lingering near a doorway and attempting brief conversation with Prince William; William gave only a short nod before looking away, body language analysts said. Lip reader Jacqui Press told the Daily Mail that Andrew’s post-service remarks included pleasantries such as "It was a beautiful service" and "Aren't we lucky with the weather today." Body language expert Judi James described the interaction as "very frosty," saying William's nonverbal signals suggested discomfort and a desire to draw the exchange to a close.
Andrew sat in a front row with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, and was seen speaking with family members, thanking cathedral staff and exchanging words with his sister, Princess Anne, before leaving the scene. Separate clips showed Andrew sharing a light moment with Sarah Ferguson while Prince William appeared visibly uncomfortable. The Duke of York stepped back from public duties in 2019 over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein but continues to attend private family events.
The Requiem Mass, held for the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, was one of several senior royal gatherings in recent months that have drawn attention to family dynamics. Buckingham Palace said Queen Camilla would not attend the service after withdrawing two hours before the event while recovering from acute sinusitis. Those present included King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, the Duke of Kent and other members of the extended Windsor family.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who conducted the service, told attendees the ceremony combined "quietness and grandeur," reflecting aspects of the Duchess's life. He noted her long record of private service and kindness, recalling moments such as her participation in a pilgrimage to Lourdes and an episode in which she comforted a tennis player at Wimbledon. Three of the Duchess's grandchildren read the Prayer of the Faithful during the funeral.
The requiem was the first Catholic funeral for a modern member of the monarchy at Westminster Cathedral and included musical elements selected by the Duchess, including Mozart's Ave verum corpus and a Scottish pipes lament also heard at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022. The cathedral's choir and organist performed works by Maurice Duruflé as part of the service.
Observers and commentators have linked the subdued interactions at the exit to broader tensions arising from Andrew's years-long public controversy. Historian Andrew Lownie has recently published a biography of the duke that prompted legal edits to some passages, the author said, a development that has drawn further attention to Andrew's place within the family. Buckingham Palace has not issued a comment about the conduct of individual family members following the funeral.
After the service, the Duke of Kent followed closely behind his late wife's coffin as it was placed in the royal hearse. Members of the family departed in small groups, and the atmosphere outside the cathedral was described by the cardinal as solemn and prayerful, in keeping with the private nature of the memorial and the Duchess's wishes.