The funeral of Pope Francis is underway at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, bringing closure to a 12-year papacy remembered for humility and simplicity.
Hundreds of thousands have gathered, hoping to glimpse Francis’ wooden coffin as it passes to its final burial place in the Basilica of St Mary Major.
Major world leaders in attendance include US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — whose appearance drew applause from the crowd — and Prince William, who is representing King Charles III and the British royal family.
The service is being led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and takes place five days after the 88-year-old Pontiff’s death from a stroke on Monday.
Around 220 cardinals, 750 bishops and priests, and more than 4,000 other priests are participating in the service.
On Friday night, Pope Francis’ coffin was sealed in a private Vatican ceremony following three days of public viewings that saw around 250,000 people pay their respects.
King Charles III is not attending the funeral. Instead, Prince William is representing the monarchy in line with royal tradition.
Though King Charles and Queen Camilla had a warm relationship with Pope Francis — having visited him just 12 days before his death during their state visit to Italy — the King is upholding the precedent set by Queen Elizabeth II, who did not attend the funeral of any pope during her reign.
According to Hello, this protocol aligns with King Charles’ constitutional roles as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which have historically remained separate from the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.
Back in 2005, King Charles, then Prince of Wales, attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II. Now, nearly two decades later, Prince William is continuing the same symbolic gesture.
Princess Catherine is not attending the funeral and remains in Windsor with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, according to the Daily Express.
King Charles and Pope Francis had met three times, with their final meeting taking place just before the Pope’s passing. A senior palace official described the meeting as a “very significant and special moment.”
In a statement, King Charles and Queen Camilla expressed their sorrow over the Pope’s death: “The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month,” the King wrote.
Earlier meetings between Charles and Pope Francis included a papal audience in 2017 and a solo visit by Charles in 2019 ahead of the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Rome.
