Prince William to Represent King at Papal Funeral Service
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Prince William will attend Pope Francis's funeral ceremony this Saturday as King Charles's official representative, according to a statement from Kensington Palace earlier today.
The Prince of Wales joins an assembly of global leaders at St. Peter's Basilica, including British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump, and French President Emmanuel Macron, all paying their final respects to the late pontiff.
This solemn duty follows merely two weeks after King Charles and Queen Camilla held what would become their final meeting with Pope Francis at Casa Santa Marta—the same residence where the Pope passed away on Monday morning. Palace officials had described this encounter as particularly meaningful, occurring coincidentally on the royal couple's 20th wedding anniversary.
For Prince William, this marks another significant diplomatic engagement following his previous meeting with President Trump in France last year. The King, who previously attended Pope John Paul II's funeral in 2005 while still Prince of Wales, has expressed profound sadness at Pope Francis's passing, calling it a "devastating loss" and ordering flags lowered to half-mast at royal residences.
Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister's attendance, noting Sir Keir's recognition of the Pope's leadership "in a complex and challenging time."
