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Her Majesty the Queen has withdrawn from the memorial of the Duchess of Kent with "profound disappointment", as Buckingham Palace saying she is recovering from acute sinusitis.

But the palace indicates the monarch, in spite of this uncomfortable condition of the sinuses, still plans to attend the state visit of President Trump, who will be in Windsor on Wednesday.

The King and additional high-ranking members of the royal family will be arriving later at the funeral of Katharine at the historic cathedral.

It is the first Catholic funeral for a member of the royal household in modern times – and a blessing from Pope Leo will be presented during the ceremony.

The monarch's ailment was disclosed by the palace prior to the memorial, which will be held on Tuesday afternoon.

"Sadly, Queen Camilla has withdrawn from participation at this day's Requiem Mass for the Duchess Katharine as she is treating acute sinusitis. She sends her condolences will be with the Duke and all the family," said the statement.

The casket of the royal was brought to the house of worship on Monday, draped in the flag and with white roses among the flowers, in memory of the duchess' Yorkshire roots.

The duchess was the most senior member of the monarchy when she died recently at the age of 92. She was married to the first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

There have been numerous memories of her kindness and her commitment to charities.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who will preside over the ceremony, has recalled how the duchess often volunteered at the Passage charity for the those in need, which is located next door to the cathedral.

Reflecting ahead of the funeral, he described her as a "humble person" who had helped in the dining area and with maintenance at the charity.

"In addition to combining official responsibilities, she was deeply involved in serving people," Cardinal Nichols shared.

This is a historic occasion in terms of being a royal Catholic funeral, but the Cardinal said it should be seen mainly as a "private memorial where the relatives of the family come together."

"A beloved elder has died. A lady who was greatly loved by her relatives and also, as we've seen, by a wide section of the public," added Cardinal Nichols.

The duchess had a profound love of music and had worked as a primary school educator, calling herself Mrs Kent, with the pupils not aware anything about her royal life.

Music at the service will feature a classical piece by Mozart, which was chosen by the her as her favourite work when she was a guest on the a popular radio program in 1990.

A piper will perform the lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep, which was played at the memorial of the late Queen, which was three years ago this week.

There will also be performances by a renowned composer and from the requiem by France’s musician Maurice Durufle.

The royal will also be recalled as a well-known presence at the tennis tournament, where she handed over awards – and comforted those who had been defeated, including a tearful a tennis professional in 1993.

After the funeral at the cathedral, the remains will be transferred to the cemetery in the estate, on the royal grounds.