Duchess Sophie's moving gesture at Duchess of Kent's funeral was discreet but utterly heart-warming

It can be easy to forget that the Royal Family is, in so many ways, a family like any other but we all got a poignant reminder of this on 16th September as they came together to remember Katharine, Duchess of Kent who recently passed away. A Requiem Mass was held for her at Westminster Cathedral and the sight of so many royals united in their grief and in support of the Duke of Kent was incredibly moving.

He was married to Katharine for 64 years and whilst some people’s attention might naturally have been drawn to the King and Prince and Princess of Wales, I couldn’t help noticing the Duchess of Edinburgh’s moving gesture to him. After the funeral, Sophie caught the Duke’s eye and blew him a kiss.

As revealed in a video shared by The Telegraph, Duchess Sophie also discreetly mouthed to him, "Are you ok?" as he got into a car and departed.

This was a special moment that likely went unnoticed by many, though it was captured in photographs taken at the funeral service. I think it was such a thoughtful gesture from the Duchess of Edinburgh for the Duke of Kent at this difficult time.

We might have expected the Royal Family to maintain a dignified solemnity throughout the day, yet Sophie blowing a kiss is undeniably more personal. She wanted to check in with him and offer him comfort in some small way and wasn’t afraid to be more down-to-earth in doing so.

Formality was temporarily forgotten in favour of this very heart-warming act of kindness.

The Duke of Kent, who is the late Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin, is also a working royal and he and Sophie likely know each other well, having attended so many family and public occasions together over the decades.

I found her gesture to him so special and yet it didn’t come as a surprise to me, as Duchess Sophie has been equally personal in the past when members of her family were grieving. Millions of people across the world watched Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022 and as she was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch it’s understandable that it felt like a public occasion.

However, we have to remember that as well as the Sovereign, she was also a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Saying your final goodbye to a loved-one is emotional enough without doing so with everyone else watching.

The Duchess of Edinburgh was quick to comfort Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the Queen’s funeral. She put her arm around George’s shoulders as they walked, and later on Charlotte was pictured drawing close to her as they left. I think it speaks volumes about her nature that Sophie is someone who not only offers support when her family needs it most, but is sought out for that.

The Duchess of Kent passed away on 4th September aged 92 and in a statement Buckingham Palace spoke of how the family was united in their grief.

"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," they declared.