THE Duke and Duchess of Kent were among the mourners at a packed thanksgiving service for the life of the Duchess’ brother, Oliver Worsley.

The service took place yesterday at All Saint’s Church, in Hovingham, where Mr Worsley grew up with his sister Katherine and brothers Marcus and John.

Both the church and a marquee in the grounds, to which the service was relayed, were packed.

The Press reported last week how Mr Worsley, 83, of Heslington, York, had died after years of suffering from the degenerative illness Huntington’s disease, leaving a widow, Penelope.

The Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Lord Crathorne, a friend of the family, paid tribute yesterday to Mr Worsley, whom he described as ‘gentleman who made friends wherever he went.’ He said he had been a successful farmer in North Yorkshire, prominent in the Sinnington and Middleton Hunts, a steward at the Great Yorkshire Show for many years and captain of the Hovingham cricket team.

He had been a director of Tyne Tees and Yorkshire TV and had helped set up the farming museum at Murton, near York.

The Yorkshire Bach Choir, of which Mr Oliver was a patron, performed, and there were readings by his son David and granddaughter Scout.

The service was conducted by the Reverend Beryl Bowes, the Reverend Timothy Forbes-Adam and the Reverend Nancy Eckersley, vicar of Heslington.

Penelope Worsley revealed last week that her husband’s brain was to be used for research into Huntington’s disease, saying he had struggled in his final years with the lack of independence and the difficulties caused by the devastating disease and had felt very strongly that more research was needed.

She said they had had four children, Georgina, David, Richard and Anne, and Oliver had been a director of the Theatre Royal in York, was on the board of Opera North and was president of the Friends of York Art Gallery for many years.