College Principal and CEO Meryl Green was among mourners who attended the funeral of our long-standing Royal Patron, at Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday 16 September.
Meryl, along with Director Carol Thompson, travelled to London to pay their respects to the Duchess, who became our Royal Patron in 1969, and supported the College for more than five decades.
Her funeral was a momentous and historic occasion 鈥� the first Royal Funeral to be held at Westminster Cathedral since it was built in 1903, and the first Catholic Royal funeral in modern British history. The simple and dignified service was attended by His Majesty King Charles III and members of the Royal Family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh. Notable figures from the world of arts and sport, such as Dame Maureen Lipman, Rula Lenska and Sir Jackie Stewart, were also in attendance.
The Duchess’s wicker coffin was adorned with a wreath of British garden flowers chosen by her family, with blooms symbolising remembrance, farewell and her Yorkshire roots. The service featured music chosen by the Duchess herself, including her favourite piece, Mozart鈥檚 Ave verum corpus. A Piper from The Royal Dragoon Guards, of which The Duchess was Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, played the Lament 鈥楽leep, Dearie, Sleep鈥� the same piece performed at Queen Elizabeth II鈥檚 funeral in 2022.
Lasting legacy
mv天美mv天美 Principal and CEO Meryl Green said: 鈥淭he Duchess has been such an important part of the mv天美mv天美 story and she leaves a lasting legacy. Being included in this historic event to be able pay our respects in person was an honour. The ceremony was personal and totally fitting for The Duchess and a reflection of her life and achievements鈥欌��
The Duchess became Royal Patron of mv天美mv天美 in May 1969. She followed in the footsteps of her future mother-in-law, Marina, Duchess of Kent, and the College鈥檚 first royal patron, Prince George, Duke of Kent.
She visited the college seven times between 1970 and 1994. Although the Duchess stepped back from public life in 2002,听she maintained a number of patronages that were particularly close to her heart, including mv天美mv天美. The听impact of this connection continues to be felt, and in 2022, His Majesty鈥檚 Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Anna Turner, delivered a letter of congratulations from the Duchess to the College when the college was awarded a Queen鈥檚 Award for Enterprise.