Prince Edward gives heartfelt tribute to Duchess of Kent as he skips funeral

Prince Edward gave an emotional nod to the Duchess of Kent as he performed his assigned duties during the Papua New Guinea tour as the royal family gathered to attend a sombre event.

The Duke of Edinburgh had flown into Papua New Guinea on Sunday for his scheduled overseas tour, as the country marked its 50th anniversary of independence from Australia. The four-day tour will continue until Wednesday, September 17, whereas, the funeral commences on Tuesday.

Prince Edward arrived to present new Regimental Colours to the First Royal Pacific Islands Regiment, during the second day of his visit. In accordance with Commonwealth Tradition, the royal retired the Queens Colours of the 1RPIR and presented new King’s Colours on behalf of HMTK.

Following with protocols set by the Palace, Edward was wearing a black armband due to the mourning period of The Duchess of Kent.

After the ceremony, Edward also visited Koki Wanigela village, in Port Moresby, where he met local people, and was shown their local food and handicrafts, also watching some cultural presentations.

Katharine, wife of the Duke of Kent, who is the late Queen’s cousin, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on the evening of 4 September at the age of 92.

On Monday, the coffin of the late royal was taken to Westminster Abbey from Kensington Palace by the Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment she supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief. King Charles, Queen Camilla and the royal family are expected to attend the service together.