Thursday’s event marked a significant milestone for the King, who attended the service for the first time since he was named Sovereign of the order upon ascending to the throne. His Majesty was welcomed to the cathedral by the Lady Mayor of London, Dame Susan Langley, and took a seat next to the Duke of Kent, who is the oldest living member of the royal family.
While the Duke of Kent has been a pillar of support for the royal family ever since he retired from the British Army in 1976, he has been slowing down his engagements in recent years due to his advancing age. The Duke has also been mourning the death of his beloved wife, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, since September.
When the Duke’s daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, was asked last year whether her father might soon consider retiring, she cautioned that he may soon look to wind down his royal engagements. ‘I don’t want him to. I mean, he sort of is naturally, because his body won’t let him go at the speed that he would like to,’ she told True Royalty TV, ‘but I don’t want him to retire because what will he do?’
In April, the Duke of Kent joined the House of Windsor, including his rarely seen cousin, Princess Alexandra, for a photo marking the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth
Aaron Chown – PA Images/Getty Images
If this year’s schedule is anything to go by, the Duke is still looking to serve the Firm however he can. In April, he joined his fellow working royals for a portrait to celebrate the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II, with whom he enjoyed a warm friendship.
On 18 February, he joined his brother, Prince Michael of Kent, and his cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, at the Army & Navy Club on Pall Mall for the Senior Serving and Retired Officers’ Briefing. Prince Edward kicked off the year with a dinner commemorating his 60th anniversary as a member of the Westminster and Keystone Chapter Number 10 of the United Grand Lodge of England. This was followed up by a visit to Wigmore Hall, one of his beloved patronages, to attend a concert by Dame Imogen Cooper. In March, he also marked the 30th anniversary of the Bletchley Park Trust, one of his patronages.