Prince William is set to attend Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, representing his father, King Charles.
On Friday, an official seating chart was released for the late pontiff’s funeral, revealing where the Prince of Wales will be placed. Since William is not the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, he will be seated further down the “order of precedence,” meaning he won’t be alongside royals such as King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain or King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
It remains unclear why King Harald of Norway won’t be attending, though earlier this week, his wife, Queen Sonja, had to be airlifted to the hospital after experiencing “breathing difficulties.”
William will not be the sole representative from the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will also attend, accompanied by his wife, Victoria. Joining them will be Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the UK’s ambassador to the Vatican Chris Trott, and Sir Keir’s private secretary for foreign affairs, Alisa Terry.
This move aligns with modern royal practice and will be seen as a significant step forward in William’s emergence as a global statesman and future monarch.
Back in 2005, Charles, then Prince of Wales, attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II, representing his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Princess of Wales’ absence It has not been officially confirmed why the Princess of Wales will not accompany her husband, but similarly, when Charles attended Pope John Paul II’s funeral, he was not joined by Camilla, to whom he was soon to be married.
The Princess of Wales also has family obligations. Just earlier this week, the family celebrated Prince Louis’ seventh birthday, and Princess Charlotte’s tenth birthday is approaching next week.
Pope Francis’ passing Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after being hospitalised with double pneumonia and a complicated lung infection. His official cause of death was recorded as a stroke leading to cardiac arrest.
The news of his death was shared by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement issued by the Vatican. It read: “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.
The Pope passed away on Easter Monday
“At 7.35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised.”
Just a few weeks before his passing, Pope Francis had received King Charles and Queen Camilla during their state visit to Italy. During their 20-minute meeting, they exchanged gifts, and the Pope wished them a happy anniversary.