William, the Prince of Wales, will attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday on behalf of his father, King Charles III, Kensington Palace confirmed on Tuesday, per the BBC.
Pope Francis died at 88 on Monday. His cause of death was a stroke, which resulted in a coma and the “collapse of his cardiovascular system,” per The New York Times.
Charles will not attend the funeral in honor of British royal protocol which states that the Sovereign does not attend funerals, Buckingham Palace confirmed, per Vanity Fair. King Charles attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 when he was Prince of Wales.
Most recently, no one from the British royal family attended the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2023, because he had formally retired as the leader of the Catholic Church and was not provided with a state funeral, per People.
On Saturday, William will join other world leaders including President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, per the BBC.
King Charles paid tribute to Pope Francis on Monday in a lengthy statement shared on social media.
“My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis,” the monarch said. “Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.”
Charles and Camilla recently met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on April 9 in wake of the Pope’s extended hospital stay, per Vatican News. During their visit, Charles wished Pope Francis a healthy recovery.
The monarch was praying for the Pope’s health following their visit, and Pope Francis said he would pray for Charles’ health as well, who is currently being treated for cancer, per the BBC.
“His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others,” Charles continued in his tribute Monday.
“His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.”