Prince William will represent the British royal family at Pope Francis’s funeral in the Vatican on Saturday, Kensington Palace announced.
The heir to the throne will attend the service acting “on behalf” of King Charles III, following a modern tradition where the heir represents the monarch at such events.
This mirrors Charles’s attendance at Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005, when he was Prince of Wales, representing Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth herself never attended a papal funeral during her reign.
Credit: Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
As the British monarch is the head of the Church of England, William’s presence is seen as a significant step in his development as a global figure and future king, according to British media.
This follows King Charles and Queen Camilla’s recent 20-minute meeting with Pope Francis during their state visit to Italy.
King Charles, who is undergoing cancer treatment and recently experienced some side effects requiring a brief hospital stay, will not be attending.
